THEwire December 2015 www.royalsignals.org

The Magazine of The Royal of Signals A Christmas Message From The Corps Colonel Col S G Hutchinson MBE ADC

As we move into 2016 The Corps can reflect on what has been an extraordinarily busy 12 months; it has not been one for the faint hearted. From success in the sporting arena to formal acknowledgement of technical excellence whilst deployed on Operations, our Officers and soldiers have been right in the thick of it, in many cases delivering beyond expectation, but always within the spirit and ethos of our Corps.

One of the highlights of the year was standing alongside the Master of Signals whilst our Retired community paraded during the Royal Signals Association weekend; having our future, present and past cohorts together on one square was a poignant reinforcement of the 3R’s message. Further parades to celebrate the Freedom of and farewells to Germany were interspersed with commemorations at St Paul’s Cathedral and the National Memorial Arboretum; reflective moments when The Corps has assembled and remembered as a family. Whilst on the theme of family we have also introduced a new assignment policy that has sought to better facilitate and support stability, especially for the more junior elements of The Corps. It’s full implementation is going to take time and there will be frustrations on the way but having consulted widely it is clear that we are doing the right thing.

For many our return from Germany will also bring back some poignant memories. The closures of Elmpt and Herford have marked the end of a significant period in our history, but with our footprint in Germany all but gone we were all thrilled to welcome our Colonel in Chief, HRH The Princess Royal, to the formal opening of . With further visits to 30 and 3 Signal our Colonel in Chief has continued to deliver unparalleled support and we look forward to hosting her in 2016.

Our Reserves have also played their part and from supporting UK Operations to getting right alongside their paired Regular counterparts they are delivering where and when it matters. With recruiting buoyant I am hopeful that the Reserves are ideally placed to respond to any new and emerging challenges.

From promotions and success on respective New Year and Queens Birthday Honours and Awards Lists to technical and engineering accolades our Officers and soldiers continue to be formally recognised for their herculean efforts; it is a theme that I hope continues. As we move into 2016 it is clear that there are some significant challenges on the horizon but collectively we are well placed to meet them. I will therefore close by wishing you and your families, wherever they may be, a very Happy Christmas and successful New Year.

Certa Cito DECEMBER 2015 Vol. 69 No: 6 The Magazine of the Established in 1920 A Christmas Message From The Corps Colonel Col S G Hutchinson MBE ADC Find us on The Wire

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News from Blandford As we draw ever closer to the end of 2015 I would 3 like to take this opportunity to say thank you to News from Training everyone who has contributed to The Wire. As I 5 keep saying, without your input there would be no News from Formations magazine. Once again there has been an excess of 9 submissions, so I also offer my apologies to those News from Regiments 10 who submitted, but did not make the magazine. This is not a reflection on individuals but the News from Squadrons 75 practical limitations of the magazine, so please do not lose heart but keep contributing. Other Units 79 Finally, on behalf of The Wire office and all the 90 members of the Headquarters staff involved with the subscriptions, publication and delivery of each Adventurous Training 96 edition, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Last Post 110 Obituaries 110 2016 Corps Calendar - Page 56/57

FRONT COVER BACK COVER Blandford Poppy Appeal - well and truly launched 1 Sig Regt on the Herford farewell parade

Authors alone are responsible for the content of their articles. The opinions expressed in the articles of this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Royal Corps of Signals or the Ministry of Defence. All articles and submissions are published at the discretion of the Editor. This publication may contain official information. It should be treated with discretion by the recipient. Printed by Holbrook Printers Ltd, Norway Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth © Crown Copyright 1 The 2015 BAOR Corps Commission “Zeitgeist”

Spirit of the Times by Stuart Brown ©2015 www.skipperpress.com

The task of sponsoring the BAOR picture commission was accepted in January 2014 by 1ADSR (now 1 Sig Regt) then under the command of Lt Col Jules Hill. The lead was taken by the 2IC, Maj Alan Garrett, with Capt David Malortie as project officer. The task of representing such a long period of service in Germany was a challenge, and the concept adopted was that of representing the changes in equipment and uniform through time to the present day. The eventual painting produced by the selected artist Stuart Brown, is shown above.

The approach chosen was to create a single scene, at first sight looking quite natural, but on closer inspection revealing the chronology and significant landmarks of our presence in BAOR. The former Soviet listening station on the Brocken is shown in rather sinister low cloud, redolent of the all-pervasive Soviet threat of the time. Just visible through the trees is the Bismarckturm, named after the Iron Chancellor who played a key role in the development of modern Germany, with the Schloss at Bisperode, the focus of many exercises, indicated left. Flying above the forest are a pair of RAF Harrier ground attack aircraft, for which Royal Signals provided tactical field communications.

The first element (left) is a Bruin communications vehicle, with soldiers erecting the radio mast, wearing 1950s battle dress. Included are a Lineman and a Dispatch Rider. The next element depicts an armoured headquarters with interconnecting penthouse tents. The vehicle on the left is an AFV 439; the figures wear 58 pattern webbing and carry the SLR personal weapon. The third element shows a Bowman Land Rover with operator, the foreground figures wearing CS95, and carrying original pattern SA80 rifles. The final scene reveals a modern day operator on TacSat, wearing Osprey body armour and carrying the SA80 with the new fore grip attachment. A female soldier is included in this group, which is complemented by a MAN truck with communications mast.

The Rhine defines Germany both physically and emotionally, and identified the role of so many , namely those of the of the Rhine. It has featured prominently in the consciousness of Royal Signals, bisecting the rear and forward zones, in which so many of the Corps operated, exercised and lived. The progression of equipment and soldiers demonstrates the evolving role of the Corps, from NATO defence to Out of Area operations, and exemplifies the combination of our Corps ethos with the environment and soul of our hosts across the decades – the Spirit of the Times, or in German, Zeitgeist.

Limited and Open Edition prints of the painting are available in high resolution. These lithographic pints are available in two sizes with the Limited Edition being the larger of the two, both will be printed on 350gsm art board. Limited Edition prints will be despatched with a certificate of authenticity. Further detail is available at www.royalsignals.org/zeitgeist or email zeitgeist@ royalsignals.org.

2 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 NEWS FROM BLANDFORD

CORPS ENGAGEMENT TEAM

Scotland Skills Shows - by LCpl Lee

On Saturday 24 October 2015 we arrived at the historic town of Aberdeen, checked into our hotel and spent the afternoon walking up and down the dense high streets looking to bag a bargain. These bargains included some rather extravagant winter hats being purchased by Cpl Charlie Horniblow and LCpl Aaron Mills and they were donned almost immediately after handing over the cash. After making good use of our fur lined hats and finding the local Nandos we stuffed our faces with as much chicken as possible we then headed back to our hotel to get our heads down for the night.

The next day we turned up to the Aberdeen skills show and took it in turns to man our recruiting stand. Throughout the day we had many local schools and colleges coming to our stand interested in the Swedish satellite, scanner radios and the IT based apprenticeships that the Royal Signals offer. We also had many questions asked about life as a soldier and adventure training that we have taken part in throughout our careers.

By the end of the day we had won the Best Stand Award with the prize being chocolate and wine, which was a nice and in our opinion thoroughly deserved.

The next day we attended the Scotland Skills Show in . Again we had many more students interested in pursuing a career within IT and communications and we used the fact that you are paid whilst you train and can gain driving licenses for free to highlight some of the many benefits within the Army.

The local brought a Yamaha quad bike that I posed on top of and the team uploaded this quickly to our Twitter page for all to see.

Throughout the day we had a lot of friendly ‘banter’ between different cap badges and there was a lot of our branded pens being taken away by them as souvenirs.

After the event the team were in search of the nearest fish and chips shop so that we could taste the local delicacy, infamous ‘deep fried mars bar’. Unfortunately, my satnav guided us on the shortest route, which took us zigzagging through the narrowest of pathways, repeatedly up, and down long steep stairs. The fish and chip shop ended up being just around the corner from where we started, much to our amusement.

The whole of next day was spent doing the long drive in turns from Edinburgh to Blandford Camp, being forced to listen to each other differing tastes in music.

THINKING OF COMMISSIONING FROM THE RANKS?

HQ R SIGNALS will be running an Officer Selection Board 25-29 April 2016 in Blandford.

The opportunity to commission from the ranks is open to all soldiers who are eligible and are recommended as having the potential to become an officer.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or over and must be able to ensure attendance at Sandhurst before their 29th birthday. Applicants must be recommended by their Chain of Command.

Serving soldiers will be required to meet the minimum standard of 5 GCSE passes or equivalent in 5 subjects, including English Language and Maths at Grade C (or above) or SNVQ 2 or GNVQ (incorporating Key Skills) at intermediate level.

The OSB will assess the soldier’s potential for commissioning into the Army, rather than just R SIGNALS. All soldiers will be assessed in a similar manner using the following methods:

(1) Command Tasks. (2) Interview. (3) Essay. (4) Group Discussion. (5) Presentations. (6) Planning Exercise. (7) General Knowledge. (8) Physical.

For further information please see Policy Directive 23 or contact Vikki Carpenter on 94371 2957.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 3 PIPES & DRUMS

The AA Class 3 Piper and Drummer Course

by LCpl Darren Anderson

It all started late 2014 when Sig Chloe Moore, Sig Mathew After 12 weeks of practice individually the Pipers and McAlister and myself , were introduced to the Pipes and Drummers came together to play tunes that would later be Drums of the Royal Corps of Signals by WO2 (FOS(IS)) used in the Pass off Parade. It took several gruelling weeks Anderson, who has been a member for a number of years. We for us to sound like a pipe band ; evening practice and team were fortunate enough to get a place at the Army School of building exercises played a massive part in brining us Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming (ASBM&HD) in together. Edinburgh. Pass off was looming and we were on the drill square daily We arrived at the ASBM&HD keen to learn our respective going through the format of the big day. Evenings consisted instruments; Sig McAlister was learning the Great Highland of bulling brogues and polishing bugles but we all knew the Bagpipe and Sig Moore and I were there to learn Snare Drum hard work and dedication would be worth it when the time and Bugle. With no previous experience we started with the came to step off and perform for our families and friends. basics and the first few weeks were focused towards the theory side of music, learning to read, write and understand On the morning of the pass off we woke up slightly nervous the fundimentals. but raring to finally pass off! After all it had been a long but enjoyable 6 months learning our instruments. We did one last Once the theory was complete we moved on to pads, sticks litter sweep, one last kit inspection and after some port to and chanters, beginning to learn simple rudiments and scales help calm the nerves we were ready to step off. As we progressing towards playing drum scores and pipe music. formed up you could feel the nervous energy from each individual, however we all harnessed Concurrently we were also learning to and focused our energy into giving the Highland Dance; some members of the best performance we could. Together course found this extremely we played several sets of tunes as a embarrassing but its great excerise and Pipes and Drums and the Drum Corps helps with confidence and posture. performed a Bugle call and Drum salute.

Periodicly throughout the course we It was an extremeley proud moment for would be assesed by the Pipe Major all 3 of us, to perform in front of all our and Drum Major respectfully. From family and friends and represent the these formal assessments we were Royal Corps of Signals in amongst given any work on points that they several other Cap Badges. Our families highlighted to enable us reach our full thorougly enjoyed the performance and potential. were left wanting more! After the parade we had the opportunity to share Our course ran from April to September a few drinks with our families and one and during this time we found another before we said our goodbyes to ourselves fortunate enough to spectate our fellow students and to the at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo instructors who had worked tirelessly and other Piping events. These were over the last 6 months to make us Class useful to show us what could be 3 Pipers and Drummers. achieved in a few years of playing with the right dedication and attitude toward mastering our choosen instruments.

Interested in becoming a member of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Corps of Signals?

Becoming a member of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Corps of Signals is open to all serving Officers and Soldiers, both Regular and Reserve. No previous knowledge is required, only a willingness to learn. The Pipes and Drums regularly perform at prestigious events in the UK and overseas including the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and other international Tattoo’s. If anyone is interested please contact the Corps Pipe Major on 94275 4253 or email on ATR(W)-TRG-CPL15.

4 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 NEWS FROM TRAINING

11th () SIGNAL BLANDFORD

CO Lt Col SJ Short After a hard day moving tactically around Blandford training RSM WO1 (RSM) R Savage area visiting all 9 stands, the students were tired and ready for sleep by the end. The awards were presented by the VIP Gordon’s Cup - by Sgt Beach visitor, the Lord Lieutenant of Mr Kenneth Olisa OBE and the CO. The Gordon’s Cup trophy was presented to 3 The Gordon’s Cup took place on Sat 3 Oct 15. This bi-annual (Harrogate) . military skills competition, predominantly designed for Phase 2 soldiers, was conducted by 4 (Mil Trg) Squadron on behalf of CO 11 (RSS) Signal Regiment, Lt Col S Short.

The aim of the competition was to provide Phase 2 soldiers with an exciting and challenging military skills exercise to enhance their leadership, teamwork, physical robustness and confidence.

The Phase 2 soldiers getting down and dirty with a bit of tactical movement

2 (Catterick) and 3 (Harrogate) Squadrons battled it out over a 12 hour period. The competitors were tested at section level on various stands, including 3 arduous events ranging from a 2 mile OFT, to a demanding bayonet range.

The CO presenting the top award to Cpl Rabakewa

Female Festival of Sport - by SSgt Lincoln

Eight females from Blandford Garrison took the drive up to Deepcut to take part in the Female Festival of Sport, some not really knowing what they were letting themselves in for and others with a bit of an idea. After a night in the penthouse at Brunswick lines the team arrived at Deepcut ready to take on the first sport, . Many of the team had never played hockey before, but they soon got the hang of it and we held a respectable fourth place. After 70 minutes of hockey it was time to take on the challenge of orienteering I am not entirely sure what was said, but it made an impression round the training area. The sight of the many hills the girls

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 5 had last seen in Phase One training guided them round in once again a respectable fourth place. As day one came to an end the team was sat in joint third.

A second night at Brunswick, with a team building meal and the girls were ready for day two, consisting of super teams and . The girls held their own throughout the second day with the final position going down to the tie break event, the Wattbike. Only 26m was the difference between third and fourth place with the Blandford girls taking forth. An enjoyable, tiring two days for all. A very good achievement, well done girls.

Fire and movement

shouted. Returning fire, we won the firefight and assaulted the enemy position.

Our next stop was the assault course, which we completed in an impressive 7 minutes and 50 seconds, the best time of the day at that point (we were the first to go through however, so there wasn’t much competition). Off we went to the BCDT stand, which was aiding a casualty, casualty evacuation followed by a small test. No dramas for our well-prepared section.

We then went on to the DCCT range and bayonet lane where we showed plenty of determination and aggression. Next, it was the observation stand in which you had to patrol and see key objects on the floor and hanging from the trees, the more objects the more points you gained.

The next stand was one of the more mentally demanding tests, the March and Shoot. It consisted of a two mile run with your kit, followed by an air rifle shoot. This put a few of the lads to the test as we came in at 19 minutes with a time to beat of 18 minutes. The final stand, a CBRN activity, included a casualty evacuation followed by setting up a 12x12 tent in 4Romeo. This was horrendous but the boys were motivated and ready. We completed it in 6 minutes and 8 seconds, which was best time of the day, giving the section a great 11 (RSS) Sig Regt running too fast for the camera to keep up boost.

2 (CATTERICK) SQUADRON

OC Maj L Kelly SSM WO2 (SSM) B Sherwin

Gordon’s Cup Oct 15 - by Sig Burrows

It was 1630 on the night before the competition, the Squadron was ready to set off on route to the harbour area and there were nervous faces abound. We arrived at the harbour area, set up our bashers and then progressed on with revision and personal admin. Cpl Tyson, our section commander, interrogated us with more questions on what was to come. We managed to convince him that we had learnt our lessons from the additional training he had Setting up tents is even less fun in CBRN gear delivered in the evenings of the preceding three weeks.

We woke up early in the morning on competition day and Lining up at the finish point we were eager to find out if we carried out our morning admin. Given the order by Sgt Pun to had won. The CO came onto the field and we all rose to cam up and form up with the rest of the Squadron, we made attention. The first trophy was for best shot followed by the our way to the meeting point. On arrival, we received a trophy that was on our mind all day, the best section. “The motivational speech from our CO, Lt Col Short. The shots trophy for best section goes to… 16 Section”. We all smiled went off and we proceeded to our first stand, which was and quietly cheered to each other as we went to collect our Section Attack. We bombed up and patrolled to locate the trophy, knowing that our hard work had paid off. enemy. A burst of fire rang out, “CONTACT LEFT” we

6 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Officers' v WOs' and SNCOs' Match 9 Sep 15 even though not completely grasping the rules. The CO also - by WO1 (YofS(EW)) Fox thanked Andrew ‘Biff’ Gray for his sterling work on preparing a wicket and outfield which was far better than the cricket on Put the date in your diary, 9 Sep 15, the day when cricket show. officially died at the Blandford Oval, but before you do let me explain why. We now look forward to the Bone of Contention Rugby Match on 3 Dec 15, surely the Officers will not be able to There are few things that epitomise the English summer more wrestle the trophy from the reigning champions? than the sound of leather on willow as a well-timed cover drive glides to the boundary, the clatter of leather on wood as Exercise FOVANT VIGNETTE – Potential Officer Development a perfect off cutter from a seamer hits the top of off stump. Sadly, none of these were evident as the 11 (RSS) Sig Regt A beautiful sunny September day in Wiltshire saw an eight Officers’ v WOs’ & SNCOs’ Cricket Match was resurrected. strong cohort of Potential Officers (POs) from the Regiment Certainly not for the purist. Two distinctly amateur teams undertake the final phase of Ex FOVANT VIGNETTE and deliver battled for three hours of painful viewing for the large crowd briefs to the CO, OC 2 (Catterick) Sqn and the RSM. including the CO, Lt Col S Short. Each PO was given a Regiment whose cap badge is chalked An ‘arranged’ toss was won by Sgt Dave Hudson who decided into the hill next to the village of Fovant to research a week to bat, in his own words “to make sure we make a day of it”. previously. Subsequently they produced an eight-minute This decision would come back to bite him and the presentation; using only business card sized crib cards to aid overconfident members of the WOs’ and SNCOs’ team. It their final delivery. started reasonably well, Sgt Chris McKechnie and Sgt Dan Cattermole racing along at two an over for the first couple of Their initial training was overseen by the gruesome twosome overs until a flurry of quick wickets. Sgt Cattermole, WO1 of Cpl Mitchinson and Cpl Morrison, of Beaufighter Tp, who (YofS(EW)) Fox then SSgt (FofS(IS)) Danny Miller all fell in each possess their own unique charismatic styles and a keen quick succession to some rather friendly , leaving the eye for detail. After successfully passing the standards set by middle order exposed. Good bowling up front from 2Lt their NCOs, the ‘flock’ of POs were treated to an X-Factor Heslop-Charman, Maj Greaves and Maj Budding tied the style panel of Officers on their second attempt. The panel opposition down and enabled Capt Danny Wall to put was headed by Maj L Kelly, OC 2, ably assisted by Capt T pressure on with some thought provoking field placements. Rowe (the grizzled ex-ranker an excellent substitute for Only Sgt McKechnie (22) and SSgt (YofS(EW)) Robertson (14) Simon Cowell), Capt L Robinson and Capt C McGraw. offered any resistance as the WOs & SNCOs hobbled up to 76 all out. The last six wickets were taken by Capt Daz Edge (3 After refining their delivery, the POs were unleashed on the wickets), whose ‘two bouncer specials’ were unplayable, and CO and RSM. Sig Wakeman produced a somewhat solid Capt Wall (3 wickets), who used all his Corps level experience account of himself and the . Sig ‘Pecker’ to bowl straight and end any hopes the SNCOs and WOs had Wood managed to half her rate of speech and borrow some of setting a challenging total. priceless relics from the Devonshire Regiment’s museum, giving her the upper hand on her comrades. At least until Sig The Officers’ innings started well despite Sgt Hudson using his ‘Professor’ Miller, ably assisted by his History degree, shot long run and kicking off the sight screens. Capt Toby Rowe down a question from the CO on the Falaise Pocket, stealing (20), Capt Callum Davidson (10) and 2Lt Heslop-Charman (15) the show. all scoring useful runs at the top of the order to put the Officers on the front foot. Good bowling by SSgt (YofS(EW)) Of the eight cap badges researched, only the ‘Jimmy’ is still in Keegan and SSgt Jim Nash couldn’t stem the runs even service. The rest have amalgamated over the years and their though a couple of wickets fell. The tempo continued and a traditions are carried on by various Regular and Reserve Units good partnership between 2Lt Balfour and Capt Wall (24 not throughout the Army. out) saw the Officers home with only 16 of the allotted 25 overs completed. The POs have predominantly been highlighted during their Phase 2 training from 2 Sqn, with only Sgt Naresh currently Both teams played the game in a good spirit and a cold beer serving as a member of permanent staff in 4 (Military was most welcome on a warm and sunny September evening. Training) Sqn. The winning trophy was presented by the CO to Capt Wall. Man of the match was presented to 2Lt Heslop-Charman for a The POs now move forward to the Corps’ Officer Selection fine all round performance and the spirit of cricket award was Board, and potentially Army Officer Selection Board for those given to WO Bissel (German LO) for attempting to play cricket who are successful.

3 (HARROGATE) SQUADRON

OC Maj R Jacques-Grey SSM WO2 (SSM) C Deal

Welcomes and Farewells

After a period of summer leave and continued training delivery we have seen some arrivals and departures. We say goodbye to Capt Jon McLelland who is off to perform stunts and generally embarrass himself as the new OC White Helmets. We also say farewell to WO1 (FofS(IS)) Chris Crompton who is now the Corps FofS IS.

We welcome WO1 (FofS(IS)) John Colbert, Sgt Sunawa and Capt Wall collects the trophy for the Officers’ Mess. Never mind LCpl Bates into the Sqn. Congratulations to Cpls Smith, WOs’ and Sgts’ Mess, it’s the taking part that counts… Miller, Rai, Thornton, Allsop, Duggan and Riley who have all

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 7 picked up and are now acting Sgts and all bar one remain in 3 down to LCpl Dan McCoy to take two individual 6 man groups Sqn. Also to SSgt Anderson, Sgts Pritchard and Shell who up the trial once again. They smashed it round and ended a have now started their respective supervisor courses. very enjoyable and successful two days in the woods. After a debrief and final bike maintenance we put the bikes back in Adventurous Training at Cardinham Woods - by Sig Mallinson the van, packed up and headed back to Blandford.

After the success of the last Adventure Training exercise in This is the second AT exercise I have personally been on with Wales, Ulster Troop deployed on another package; this time the Troop and it matched if not bettered the first one for to Newquay in Cornwall. The exercise consisted of two days what we as a team got out of it. With a few of us talking of mountain biking in Cardinham Woods, situated just outside about gaining adventure training qualifications and enquiring Newquay. Led by Cpl Andy Willis, 12 Phase 2 soldiers from about carrying on mountain biking, I would say it had been the Troop left after duties Friday and headed for our very successful. Well organised, thanks to Cpl Willis, LCpl accommodation at RAF St Mawgan. Once we arrived at the McCoy and LCpl Kerr we certainly had a good weekend. camp, Friday night consisted of a trip to the camp bar to watch the opening match of the rugby world cup; however 4 (MILITARY TRAINING) SQUADRON there were to be no sore heads in the morning as an early start for the first days riding got us all to bed pretty early. OC Maj C Scott SSM WO2 (SSM) R Easterby-Jackson On Saturday after a good breakfast we left for Cardinham Woods. Luckily the weather was kind to us and everyone was 611 (CT) Troop - by Capt Eaton upbeat and ready for a good day’s ride. Once we arrived at the woods we got the bikes out the van and conducted a bike In 2014 eight members of 611 (Comms Trg) Tp successfully ran maintenance lesson. Cpl Willis showed the 12 of us how to the Bournemouth marathon. This year we looked to do the properly prepare the bikes before heading up and down the same again in order to raise money for the Royal Signals trails. We were shown how to change inner tubes and the Benevolent Fund. Cpl Eyre, SSgt Ware, Capt Eaton, LCpl importance of carrying out an M-check on your bike before Owen, Cpl Jamieson, LCpl Scott and Cpl Worthington all heading out on trail. volunteered to take part in the marathon, with Cpl Worthington aiming to set a personal best. The task set was The suitably named ‘Bodmin Beast’ started off with a few a significant challenge as due to the commitments of the climbs which, if you’re not used to, seemed slightly Troop there would be very little time to train prior to the challenging. However, the first downhill part of the track marathon. soon came. Surrounded by stunning views we found ourselves putting into practice the basics we learnt before we Early on Sunday morning the team assembled outside the set off. We navigated round small, fast single track lanes Troop garages ready to go, with some people (SSgt Ware) down the hills we just climbed up, which made the climb more enthusiastic than others. The team members that had worthwhile. As the 7.5 mile route carried on we were treated run a marathon before were looking apprehensive and those to more of what the woods had to offer, as the views who had never run a marathon had no idea what was in store continued so did the downhill parts and by the time we got to for them. On arrival in Bournemouth the atmosphere was the bottom we were all keen for another lap. already buzzing with anticipation as people were split into different groups by their estimated times. Cpl Eyre had A spot of lunch at the woods cafe gave us a well-deserved clearly misunderstood the instructions as he was the only one rest. After a chat, a few tips and the members of the team to have a pink number, meaning he was in the semi-pro who didn’t have padded cycling shorts stopped moaning running group! about the effects of the rough terrain, we set off for another lap. This time there was no stopping as we tried to have a Once the marathon started Cpl Worthington quickly took the solid run round. Advancing in confidence and technique the lead, trying to beat his time from last year. As the course team attacked the route, we had been quite lucky that we looped back and forth we kept seeing him further and further had no injuries throughout the day. However as the team ahead of the main group, High Fiving as he passed. He ended met at the end of the trail we seemed to be missing Cpl Willis up completing the run in a personal best time of 3 hours 44 who unfortunately fell off at the very last bit of the route. A minutes! Everyone else kept to a steady pace, with the cut eye and a trip to minor injuries and he was patched up and emphasis on getting round as a team. A seemingly long time we headed back to camp for a well-earned meal and a couple later, we crossed the finish line in a time of 4 hours 37 minutes of drinks. and headed back to Blandford, ready to start an ETL course on the Monday morning! The Sunday started with turning the accommodation around. We then set off for the woods again for what would be our last go round the trails. Unfortunately due to Cpl Willis’ fall the previous day he was out of action for the day so it was

Ulster Tp enjoying some MTB trail training All for a good cause

8 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 NEWS FROM FORMATIONS

1st (UK) SIGNAL

DEPLOYEX – by LCpl Akplu

Ex ARRCADE FUSION 15 is the first major overseas deployment of HQ ARRC and HQ 1 Sig Bde in recent memory. As such, it will present significant challenges for Bde HQ staff that only a real-time deployment can provide. A test exercise, named DEPLOYEX was conducted to establish 1 Sig Bde’s readiness for Ex ARRCADE FUSION 15. DEPLOYEX was held at Joint Air Mounting Centre (JAMC) South Cerney over the period 21 – 25 Sep 15. DEPLOYEX was designed to test a deployment of HQ ARRC’s Forward Co-ordinating Element (FCE) and Initial Command Element (ICE) within the UK to ready the staff and de-risk the eventual deployment on Ex ARRCADE FUSION 15. A total of 150 personnel were involved in the exercise, including elements of the Bde HQ, HQ ARRC, 22 Sig Regt and ARRC Sp Bn. DComd 1 Sig Bde Col Hill briefs DCOM ARRC on the ICE and FCE CIS capabilities The final day involved CIS capability meetings with Brig Nesmith. Brig Cole, Head IS, visited to see how things were going plus how the Army as a whole could adopt this strategy in future Operations. Once a Change of Control (ChoC) had been conducted from FCE back to ARRC PHQ the ARRC staff recovered back to Innsworth. The exercise went smoothly in the beginning but was followed with a few communications glitches which delayed the ChoC for a few hours. Thanks to the expertise and diligence of 22 Sig Regt, the issues were swiftly resolved. Bde HQ Staff however recovered around 1530hrs back to Innsworth just in time for the 1700hrs DCOS conference. FCE during DEPLOYEX

Brigade Staff arrived at 0730 on 22 Sep 15 in support of Brig Nesmith, Comd 1 Sig Bde, to exercise control over Bde elements, after the professional driving of 1 Sig Bde BOWO WO1 McLay got us to JAMC relatively unscathed. After a quick breakfast we went through a series of briefs which included our accommodation, security, introduction to the ICE site and where the Bde CP was located. The food during the exercise was always excellent and the chefs worked tirelessly to supply all exercising personnel with much needed morale.

We offloaded the kit from the van, set up the Bde CP then DCOS 1 Sig Bde, Maj Terry, gave us all a brief on the Battle Rhythm. By the second day we were into our working routine, communications were established with the Rear Operations Group and R2 began arriving from units on time.

Day three was visit day. DCOM ARRC and COS ARRC visited Maj Patterson conducts media training with soldiers from the exercise site to see how things were going and to advise across the Brigade the Bde on how ARRC PHQ wanted the Bde and its elements to support Ex ARRCADE FUSION 15. Soldiers from across the Personnel from ARRC Sp Bn and 22SR however remained Bde were given media training by Maj Patterson (US Army) over the weekend to collapse all the tents and equipment from HQ ARRCs Public Affairs Office. Feedback from the used for the Exercise. DEPLOYEX went well and reassured soldiers was good and they are aware of the importance of Ex Bde HQ, 22 Sig Regt and ARRC Sp Bn that HQ ARRCs ARRCADE FUSION 15 and potential local media interest in deployed C2 concepts and distributed command principle their presence in the Baltic States. work in practice and some valuable lessons were learned that will be taken forward to Ex ARRCADE FUSION 15.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 9 NEWS FROM REGIMENTS

1st SIGNAL REGIMENT STAFFORD

CO Lt Col P R D Muir MBE RSM WO1 (RSM) J Scott

Exercise PREMIER PLATO - by Lt Hurst

After weeks of detailed planning, involving hours of collating doctrine and historical examples, the dawn of Exercise PREMIER PLATO organised by Lt ‘Brooky’ Brookmier finally came on a sunny April morning in Herford.

On arrival at Elmpt Station the Regiment was greeted by the new Commanding Officer, Lt Col Phil Muir MBE and then swiftly divided into syndicates for the week. A strong foundation for the campaign was then delivered through a presentation and some informative WW2 video clips. With a much greater understanding of the battle for Arnhem, the race to the starting line began.

Lt Kyle Macaulay always ensured that standards of dress were maintained whatever the activity

Officers and Warrant Officers to make it to the next stand in the shortest time possible, there were inevitably a few tumbles along the way. Notably Lt Lindsey Hurst and Regimental FofS Floyd both fully tested the durability of their bikes!

1 Signal Regiment ready for the ‘Tour de Arnhem’

Each stand consisted of a historical introduction delivered by each OC and a syndicate group task. The tasks involved exploring a problem faced by a Commander at the time, such as a vague order or a seemingly impossible mission, then disseminating the question and providing a new solution using doctrinal examples and modern planning tools. Each day was packed with many opportunities to get to grips with Members of the newly renamed 1 Signal Regiment stay true to our modern doctrine through a rather more interesting their roots by finding some armour to play with medium than simply reading ADP OPS.

For the duration of the Battlefield tour a strict ‘no denim’ The tour culminated in a visit to the Arnhem Airborne policy was enforced, which consequently led to a fashion Museum, a fantastically detailed and comprehensive account show of sophisticated cycling attire. Glamorously modelled of the history surrounding . The each day by the Troop Commanders of 1 Signal Regiment, a interactive museum enabled visitors to fully engage with the variety of affixed attire was on show, with Lt Kyle Macaulay history and truly understand what happened in the sleepy winning the best dressed officer prize daily. Dutch riverside town only 70 years ago.

Unfortunately the arduous cycling tour of Arnhem did lead to On completion of the excellent Battlefield Tour, the Regiment some bumps and scrapes. Owing to the eagerness of the retired to Elmpt Station Officers’ Mess in order to attend the

10 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 As we entered the central town square, we were marching in high spirits on this day of mixed emotions. The happiness of returning to our home country was tinged with the sadness of leaving the country that had adopted us and accepted us as their own.

After a well practiced march past the dias where the Burgermeister (Mayor) of Heford and senior members of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces of Germany) as well as a number of high ranking British Officers were standing, the parade stood to attention facing the town hall. The Regiment listened intently as a number of heartfelt speeches were delivered in both English and German, with many cheers coming from the crowds watching. The Memorial to the fallen at the Arnhem Cemetery very last North-West European Dinner Night. The evening was as always, filled with good food, good , plenty of champagne and a fine display of Mess entertainment provided by the subalterns of 16 Signal Regiment.

The Herford Farewell Parade - by LCpl Davison

In order to mark the final months of British Forces stationed in Herford, NordRhein-Westfalen, prior to the Regiment rebasing to MOD Stafford in the UK, 1 Signal Regiment conducted one last parade through the streets of Herford.

Rehearsals proved not be taken lightly in the weeks prior to the event and many hours were spent ensuring every inch of Proudly displaying The Fardenband on the Regimental Colours the Hammersmith Barracks parade square had been marched on for one last time. Luckily the officer sword drill refresher provided an amusing interlude during the long practices. The speeches concluded with the unveiling of a commorative plaque on the front entrance of the Rathaus and the On the morning of 24 Apr the Regiment formed up for one presentation of The Fardenband. This awarding of the last time ready to load up the buses and drive down to the Fardenband is considered to be the highest honour that can parade route, with everyone eager to march through the be awarded to a foreign unit and symbolises the union of the town with bayonets fixed and swords drawn just one last two countries working together. time. After all it was a particularly iconic moment and marked over 50 years of British military presence in the area.

Formerly known as 1 (UK) ADSR, the unit had spent many years in the small town of Herford bonding with and living alongside the local population with some members of the Regiment having spent large portions and in some cases all of their careers in Germany. The parade took place in the heart of the town, where family, friends and the local population had lined the streets to ‘see us off’. News of the parade had travelled far and we attracted quite the crowd! As local police vehicles escorted us through the streets, we navigated our way along the cobbles to the Rathaus in the centre of the town. With the procession led by the former Regt 2IC Maj Al Garret, it was a surprise that Lt Woulfe still couldn’t quite keep in step... Maj Gen G P Hill CBE and Lt Col JG Hill with the Colour Party

Exercise PREMIER INNOVO - by Sig Bass

The newly revived Regimental Road Cycling team, led by Lt Hurst, undertook an endurance ride from Herford to Stafford during the period 28 Aug - 4 Sep 15. The team cycled a gruelling 826km over eight days, passing through Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. The aim of the challenge was to build team cohesion within the new Regimental team and begin training for the upcoming 2016 season.

The team said “goodbye” to Hammersmith Barracks on a worryingly grey Friday morning and embarked upon the first leg of the route; a 100km leg to Munster. With Cpl ‘Bradders’ 1 Signal Regiment exercising the Freedom of Herford Bradley leading the way, the team were immediately

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 11 challenged by the formidable but stunning countryside of North Rhine Westphalia and the Ridge.

The Team formed up and ready to roll

Leg 2 took the team from Munster to Bocholt. With a Team cohesion at its best refreshingly flat ride compared to the day before, the 104km route was mostly uneventful until Sig Boulton fell off his bike Leg 5 saw farewell to the flats of the Netherlands and hello to in the final 50m pulling into the car park of the Hotel in the hills of the UK; much to the amusement of Sig Laidler Bocholt. who had been looking forward to riding uphill all week. With fresh legs, Sgt ‘Reg’ Holdsworth led the group out of Harwich on the 100km leg to Saffron Walden in Cambridgeshire. Comments from the team’s motivational speaker, Lt Gillespie, included quotes such as “it’s like the transition to the mountain phase of the Tour de . We’ve had the cobbles and the sprint stages, its now time for the climbs”.

Leg 6 was the next 98km instalment of the ride and took the team from Saffron Walden to Bletchley. With the wide open Cambridgeshire countryside it was finally time for some high speed peloton training, which was only slightly hampered by the occasional gravelly farmer’s track. Additionally with the discovery of a newly resurfaced closed A road, a race opportunity arose for LCpl ‘Chalky’ White to storm to victory or to achieve a joint victory after a cheeky 3km sprint.

A brief stop on The Rhine

Leg 3 of the ride marked the crossing of the border between Germany and the Netherlands. After 97km in the saddle, the team were welcomed into Nijmegen by extreme downpours, sheet lightning and hailstorms.

Leg 4 took the team from a slightly more sunny Nijmegen to the coastal town of Bergen Op Zoom. As the longest leg of the ride the 137km route was particularly tough, but with the inspirational words of PTI Sig ‘Nessa’ Royals the team’s spirits were not dampened by the punctures, broken spokes, snapped gear leads or crashes. With members of the support team also getting involved in the cycling, it was on this day that Sig Maiden put in a valiant effort for his first time on a road bike, completing the entire ride with minimum complaint. A sterling effort for a novice rider!

Impromptu races on the closed A roads

Leg 7 began with a fleeting visit to Bletchley Park and then another 97km ride to Bramcote. Tempers were beginning to fray by this point, especially when, with little warning, roads Because the last 50m was just too much turned into rivers!

12 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 The final leg from Bramcote to Stafford was an undulating Throughout the day a high level of morale was maintained 93km ride finishing with the hills of Cannock Chase. Having with more cakes and the occasional brew. As the sun went waited all week for some decent hills, Sig Steel had not down in God’s back garden we still had a few more expected them to be in the last 10km when he was a little too checkpoints to go. With a few carrying slight injuries we had tired to climb then. to work hard to make sure we all finished with the remainder of our team still intact. We finished the event in 20 hours 20 minutes, which definitely made for one of the most testing Lanyard Trophy courses.

200 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj N Pryce-Jones SSM WO2 (SSM) D Jackson

Exercise FLYING FLACON 15 - by LCpl Schofield and LCpl Innes

Having only formed up as a Regiment in Stafford on 24 August 2015 after rebasing from Germany the Squadron was straight into exercise preparation looking to deploy on 14 September 2015 to Swynerton Training Area. Prior to Proudly flying the flags deploying we had been involved in a rigorous week of PACEX, testing all Bowman capabilities.

After a tiring but rewarding week, the 1 Signal Regiment Road Cycling Team rolled into camp with high spirits, flying their flags proudly from the back of their bikes.

Sig Slyfield and Sig Allen enjoying the Staffordshire climate. The team arriving in Stafford

The Lanyard Trophy Competition - by Lt Woulfe It was a brisk Monday morning when all paraded at parade square with all vehicles prepped and On completion of rebasing, 1 Signal Regiment’s Lanyard ready to roll out the door to Swynerton; after a brief queue at Trophy team, began 3 weeks’ intense training prior to the the armoury to receive weapons of course. Everyone was in competition, in the Peak District and Snowdonia National high spirits for the exercise and events to come. Park. The days began early with a heavy fry up, followed by 15 to 25 miles of arduous training. Each day included a cake The Sqn then deployed to Swynerton to begin the exercise break, kindly supplied by the mother of Sig ‘1st CP’ Harp. Ever designed to test and prove the capabilities of the Regiment diligent, he ensured that he was always in the admin wagon with Bowman FFRs, AFVs and Falcon CP and WASP vehicles. ahead of the cake break, in order to distribute to the team. Also included were forward HQ tents to provide communication elements to moving troops on the ground. The training progressed well throughout our stay in Wales as we proved the main walking routes around Snowdon. We also disproved several routes which failed the “wet feet” test. Time in recce ‘n’ all that…

The event itself started in Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. We began at 0330 with an Army issue breakfast consisting of one bacon rasher and one sausage to sustain you throughout 40 miles. Shortly after this we formed up on the road for the 0530 start with Sig ‘Selfie’ Thapa, who was unimpressed by the time of day, as he doesn’t usually get out of bed until 1000 on Saturdays. In true Lanyard fashion the rain was horizontal and the wind was horrendous for the first few checkpoints. There was a lot of self reflection taking place up the hill for the first checkpoint in the driving rain. Unfortunately the weather was too much for Sig Harp who was back in bed by 0700. The Bulldog fleet rolling out of Site 5

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 13 On arrival at Swynerton 200 Sig Sqn began the construction of the forward HQ and establishing communications as fast as possible. During construction it was all hands on deck as they began to build the HQ as fast as humanly possible; with everyone working extremely hard to get everything in and working. The first week involved multiple tear downs and set ups of the forward HQ at various locations around the training area, testing the capability and durability of the Bowman equipment and training all involved in building the HQ. During the first week there was a rolling replenishment demonstration by Support Squadron before again deploying to the training area to set up in a new location.

The view from Monastery Hill in Cassino

Cassino, Anzio and Rimini, there was a lot of opportunity to explore the history of the area.

Led by the charismatic and enthusiastic Frank de Planta, the Sqn began their tour in the foothills of the Cassino Ridge using the Rapido River as the handrail. As the tour moved through the stunning Italian countryside various members of the group supplemented the guide’s enigmatic descriptions of each area with presentations on equipment capability, tactics and military doctrine.

As the story of the failed allied assaults continued the group were able to develop a personal opinion on the leadership and management (or lack of) that occurred at the time, with Smiles all round in the convoy the group united in a unanimous hatred of the infamous General Mark Clark.

Whilst on the move from one area to another the armour detachments were treated to a scenic cross country driving phase enjoyed by all. The Bulldogs were put through their paces vigorously, driven hard through deep undulating ground testing just how far the vehicles could slip and struggle through parts of the training area. Vehicle Commander Sig Allen and driver Sig Slyfield were given the opportunity to test their Bulldog driving skills going down the steepest of hills on the training area.

After the first week of the exercise the troops were granted a 24hr stand-down and a BBQ courtesy of Support Squadron. The troops also had the opportunity to let their hair down a little and enjoy the rugby world cup. LCpl Graham delivering an interactive presentation on the Anzio Annie Weapon system When the next phase of the exercise was underway the Squadron saw much and more movement around Swynerton. This included setting up and tearing down of the forward HQ The Sqn then moved north towards Anzio to examine the in various locations. This phase of the exercise saw the RRBs assaults on the beach heads. With a visit to the CWC within 1 Signal Regiment deploy, increasing the range of cemetery and the enormous diorama built to explain Op communication assets deployed around Swynerton, Nescliffe SHINGLE, the group was able to understand the bigger and Leek. picture of the Italian Campaign.

The exercise was particularly useful in addressing the skill En route to Rimini in the North of Italy, 201 Sqn then had a pit fade on both Bowman and COMBAT and helped the troops to stop in the capital Rome to help them understand the main gain reassurance and knowledge of their trade skills. target of the campaign. With a visit to the Ambassador’s house and a tour of the City, the Sqn was suitably educated, 201 SIGNAL SQUADRON refreshed and full of much pizza gelato.

OC Maj P Andrews After a short synopsis of the events of Op OLIVE it was at SSM WO2 (SSM) ‘Kiwi’ Scarcliff time to say goodbye to our fantastic guide and to embark upon the long bus tour of Europe back to Herford. Exercise PLATO STAG - by Lt Woulfe Exercise WARRIOR STAG - by Sgt Copland As the first Sqn exercise following the return from Op Herrick 20, it was decided that a Battlefield Study to Italy would be a Exercise WARRIOR STAG was a week long 201 Signal suitable way to reunite the Squadron whilst welcoming new Squadron range package, which gave the soldiers the members into the fold. With each of the troops named after opportunity to develop their individual weapon drills and different battlefields from the Italian Campaigns Monte marksmanship qualities with different weapon systems.

14 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Sig Smith and LCpl Jimmy Miller having a sharing a pensive The standard concurrent range activities moment into practice, making good use of flanking fire, illum plans, The exercise began on the static ranges, with low level ammo conservation and their ability shoot confidently! training to refresh the soldiers on the marksmanship principles to ensure the exercising troops were confident in As with most exercises we began to lose soldiers at the end their own abilities. This was then developed onto moving of the week due to Rugby and AT but one of the highlights of target ranges and long distance shooting with Sgt Jay the week was the way that the more junior members of the Copland and WO2 ‘Kiwi’ Scarcliff teaching the soldiers to gain Squadron stepped into the command positions and confidence in the full capability of their weapon systems at commanded their fire teams to the standards expected of a both individual and section level. seasoned JNCO. This was also the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to SSgt ‘Tough Guy’ Richard who has now left us to The final 2 days of the exercise were conducted as a kinetic spend his life on the ranges within the Small Arms Corps. live firing phase. The troops were organised into sections and From all at 201 Signal Squadron, we would like to wish Tony received orders on enemy activity in the area from Cpl Dave and his wife Misha the best of luck for the future! Watson. It was then up to the section commanders to conduct patrols which inevitably ended in a fire fight. The Exercise TEAM SPIRIT - by Lt Hurst final scenario was a 2 hour long defensive shoot where the soldiers put all the knowledge they had gained from the week Following the rebasing period and a manpower reshuffle, a newly formed F Tp organised a Troop Development day to develop some team cohesion within the new team.

The visit began with a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Lichfield. Under the watchful eye of Cpl ‘allyness saves lives’ Metcalfe and Sig ‘Jordan’ Omari the visit began with a tour of the arboretum, with a number of the group partaking in the land train experience in order to see the enormity of the site. The Troop was then subdivided into groups in order to allow individuals to research specific areas for essay titles they were to complete upon their return. At 1100 F Tp then attended the memorial service kindly hosted by the volunteers of the Arboretum.

After a quick vehicle move to the next location the Troop then donned their coveralls and safety gear for an afternoon of SSM ‘Kiwi’ Scarcliff briefing the troops paintballing. Working in two teams the Troop practised their fire and manoeuvre techniques through the undergrowth of the Staffordshire countryside, with LCpl Hinton leading the teams in the charge on the fortified locations.

With the aim of the exercise being to develop historical knowledge, cultural awareness and team cohesion, the Tp

LCpl Cunnew getting to grips with the GPMG. The Foxtrot Tp Elite Paintballing Squad.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 15 achieved their aim and more, providing a strong foundation for them to move forward through the coming months.

211 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj E Swift SSM WO2 (SSM) Davies

Exercise BATTLEAXE BALTIC - by SSgt (YofS) Andy Simpson

Amid a very busy summer with the Regiment largely focused on the rebasing move to Stafford, ten members of the Squadron deployed to the British Yacht Club in Kiel to embark on a voyage around the southern Baltic Sea. Armed with 6 months of secondment experience at the BYC, Sig ‘Sonny’ Bailey volunteered to be the exercise lead.

The crew aboard the first boat named yacht Skua comprised of the following pirates. Sig Bailey was the day skipper at the helm and Sgt Jay Taylor was nominated as his first mate. Sigs Wilson, Fisher and Lloyd were his ‘not-so’ able seamen. The Crew of the Skua remained very confident throughout the trip, flying their Manchester United flag with pride, until the flag went missing as a suspected victim of Force 7 winds Falcon leaving its mark overnight....or had it been stolen by a fan? sending token elements to set up OTES Points of Presence and assist on Falcon detachments. Aboard the second boat named yacht Gannett was the day skipper and boss, OC 211 Maj Ed Swift, paired with his first During the middle of the Exercise, we took a 24 hour mate SSgt (YofS) Andy Simpson; their able seamen were Sig enforced-rest period to refresh Drivers’ Hours and this ‘Boults’ Bolton, gym queen herself Sig ‘Nessy’ Royals and Sig provided valuable time to catch up on the Rugby World Cup Jones. Unlike Sonny’s crew who survived off McDonalds, and have a well-deserved barbeque. Much to the delight of pizza and cheap rum, the crew aboard yacht Gannett caught the Exercising Troops, the decision was made to continue to their own fish and dined with fresh bread and fine wine. stretch the Flying Falcon network across the UK from our locations in Staffordshire and Shropshire instead of travelling There is little known about the antics which occurred aboard down to Salisbury. The second week was very productive yacht Skua (and rightly so), although through the power of with a 49.5km Band 1 link expertly established between the social media it is clear they had plenty of fun as they adopted detachments of LCpl Josh Padgett and LCpl Amy Cassidy. the mantra ‘work hard play hard’. Sig Bailey's walking of the One of the most expensive phone-calls of recent times was plank, very similar to the John Smith’s advert starring Peter also established when 211 OC Maj Edward Swift briefly Kay, was a personal favourite. Also worth pointing out was chatted to 21 Signal Regiment’s TOT. This was engineered their investment in five fishing rods which paid no dividends! through the Black IP Gateway and utilised the BT Flex Node in Bulford to join in with the wider FLYING FALCON network. The trip afforded fantastic experiences with stunning scenery This is the first time such a link has ever been established. and topped off with lots of hot weather as an added bonus. Towards the end of the Exercise, staying true to form, SSgt A special thanks has to be handed to Sig Bailey for John ‘the escapist’ Marlborough left the Exercise early again orchestrating the exercise and having a vision of what he to enjoy a 40th Birthday break in New York. wanted to achieve – a job well done (don’t worry Sonny, I didn’t mention the bit when you moored us up next to a Due to the fact that all Troops had worked so hard for the building site and a waste drain in order to save money!). best part of the month, the Chain of Command of 211 Sqn bought a Domino’s pizza takeout for the Sqn to enjoy. This Exercise FLYING FALCON 15 - by Lt Macaulay was especially enjoyed by Sig Liam ’21 slices’ Lloyd. Ex FLYING FALCON 15 started with an In Barracks Data Prep (IBDP) down at Old Carter Barracks in Wiltshire. Having had just one week to ‘settle’ into Stafford, two Troops of 211 Sqn, supported by elements of 201 Sqn made the long journey down to join up with three other Regiments. This was to ensure the same Falcon plan being distributed across the other Regiments for the next stage of the Exercise. The IBDP went well, especially for SSgt John ‘the escapist’ Marlborough who left early.

Following on from the IBDP, all 3 squadrons deployed to Swynnerton Training Area assisted by Support Sqn. This was the first deployment for the Regiment in the UK but luckily European driving within the training area meant we didn’t feel too far from our German roots. 200 Sig Sqn continued with their Armoured HQ setup and in keeping with 20 Brigade's reputation for tactical awareness, there were no cam-free faces in sight. On the contrary, due to the manoeuvrability of Falcon, 211 Sqn spent the majority of the Exercise utilising buildings of opportunity. 201 Sqn retained their Regimental Sig Robin ‘Madman’ Gubb and Sig Ben ‘I’d rather be cycling reputation and kept MOD Stafford safe in our absence, than here’ Steel engineering the link

16 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 2nd SIGNAL REGIMENT YORK

CO Lt Col I R Hargreaves Seven members of the thirteen man team are from the Royal RSM WO1 (RSM) J B Stephenson Signals or Queens Gurkha Signals, a great achievement for the Corps. Freedom of York - by LCpl Ramesh With adequate training and preparation, the BACST arrived in On 8 September 2015, 160 members of 2 Signal Regiment and Cannaught Range on 3 Sept 2015. We managed to complete Queen’s Gurkha Signals marched through the streets of York. half a week of training on the ranges before the competition This is a significant year for the Gurkhas who mark 200 years started. Although we had limited practice on the Canadian of service in the British Army having fought alongside British ranges, our team performed very well in variety of matches forces since 1815. coming out with some individual international match winners. There were some new matches introduced for the first time The parade was formed up near Duncombe Place. Hundreds and they were night shoot and Biathlon match. The BACST of spectators had gathered to see this parade in the historic was proud to come out victorious in both matches. As a team city. The parade marched down Parliament Street led by the we won thirteen awards, more than any other International Band of the Queen’s Division followed by members of 2 team; these included all the LMG team matches, LMG falling Signal Regiment and Queen’s Gurkha Signals. When the plate match, Biathlon and eight man section attack match. parade arrived at the city centre, the traditional Khukuri Overall, the BACST was proud to finish the event with an dance was performed by four Gurkha soldiers. immense success which was clearly reflected by an impressive number of wins. The Queen’s Gurkha Signals received the Freedom of York for the continuing close relationship with the people of the City. The BACST is a team of professional shooters selected after A speech of thanks was given by the Lord of Mayor, stating the AOSC (Army Operational Shooting Competition). They are that it was a wonderful occasion for the city to celebrate 200 a mixture of both experienced and newcomers. This year it years of Crown service by Gurkhas. The Commanding Officer was my second opportunity in a row to be part of the team of Queen’s Gurkha Signals, Lt Col N M Stokoe, was honoured and for me it was quite an experience. The next BACST tours to accept the freedom given to the soldiers by the people of are to the USA in February and Australia in May 2016. York. The Master of Signals, Maj Gen N A W Pope CBE, and the Lord of Mayor of York, Sonja Crisp, inspected the parade 214 SIGNAL SQUADRON and met serving members of 2 Signal Regiment and Queen’s Gurkha Signals. OC Maj M Jones SSM WO2 (SSM) P Stillie It was a great day for 2 Signal Regiment to exercise their freedom of York and for Queen’s Gurkha Signals to receive Op TORAL the freedom of York. This parade symbolises the honesty, loyalty and the close affiliation between the people of York We are now 7 pizza nights, 6 steak nights and the winning of and soldiers based at . two shirts into rotation three of Op TORAL. Of course a few people have been out a bit longer and a few Jai QG Signals! have just arrived, but all in all morale is high. There has been some good news in Kabul with Cpl ’Uncle Daz’ Neary and Cpl British Army Combat Shooting Team CAFSAC 2015 ‘Coops’ Cooper being promoted to Sergeant, although they - by Sig Hom Yongya will have to stick to cans of Amstel near beer to celebrate. Since receiving the news Cpl Cooper has been inspired to The Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration broaden his portfolio by moving away from his favoured (CAFSAC) is an international shooting event held in green topics and has been learning all about IT on tour and Cannaught Ranges, Ottawa and is attended by various can now turn on a laptop without help, but still struggles with nations’ shooting teams. The British Army Combat Shooting the photocopier. The now Sgt Cooper isn’t the only senior Team (BACST) is one of many teams who attend the getting his hands dirty in a quest for variety, read on to find concentration every year. For BACST, the deployment to the out…. CAFSAC is known as Ex SHARP SHOOTER. The aim of the exercise is to improve operational marksmanship and small arms efficiency thus improving operational effectiveness. It is also aimed for fostering comradeship with the Canadian forces and assists them in the development of their operational shooting.

This year, the competition took place over the period 9 - 19 Sept 2015 in Cannaught Ranges. Various teams representing the Canadian Regular Forces, Canadian Reserves, Canadian Rangers and international teams from the British Army, , British Army Reserves and American Army Reserves participated in the event, totalling over four hundred professional shooters.

The BACST was led by Team Captain Lt David Seaton and Keeping NKC on their toes. FofS Stanham and Sgt Coops help Team Adjutant WO2 Rick Green and consisted of thirteen maintain productivity in the Det by completing the Terry Tate shooters from across the Army and three supporting staff. Office Linebacker Cse!!!

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 17 New Kabul Compound (NKC) - by LCpl Mainon him the door and plug for the new tumble dryer he is buying for his girlfriend. September has been a very hectic month for NKC team due to major changes to the fault reporting processes, after initial Sig Smith has also organised a Rugby World Cup sweepstake teething issues the purpose for the changes have been for the HQ and proving that it was not fixed he was lucky realised. The grafter of the month has to be Cpl ‘Coops’ enough to pick the giants of the rugby world…Namibia and Cooper for putting in extremely long days, venturing back to LCpl ‘Rumple Stiltskin’ Mainon getting Tonga. Sgt ‘It’s Holly’ his bed space hours after everyone else has finished for the Beazley has not been giving the Rugby her 100% attention as day. Even the OC, Maj Jones, was involved in the hands on she has been watching Sky News in a state of nervous work, giving lessons on A&P and antenna sighting to the US anticipation of the road tax hike for her new VW. LCpl Mainon contractors who seemed to think “all in one place” was the has been busy deploying and testing the new T4N amid high best approach. winds and dust storms. He then took these valuable lessons to fix the much higher priority job of the BFBS feeds from the roof for the Scotland vs South Africa match for the Brigadier

Access to very good gym facilities has prompted those at NKC to have a bit of a health kick, and as we all know that good training requires good eating. Unfortunately Sgt ‘Uncle Daz’ Neary doesn’t get this concept after eating his bodyweight in waffles and ice-cream at least twice daily, rendering him immobile for hours at a time.

TORAL Aviation Detachment, Taipan (TPD) – by LCpl Hussain

LCpl ‘Kaz’ Hussain deployed with his fellow 214 soldiers but was soon leaving them behind and heading for the UK Aviation Detachment to work alongside the RAF as the sole Royal Signals representative in that location. Despite initial trepidation he was made to feel welcome and quickly settled in as part of the very gregarious team who are always willing to host a social event. The TPN J6 cell have been inspired to host a charity event to raise funds for Help for Heroes and the The OC showing the Americans how to do it Linda Norgrove Foundation. The exact format of the event will depend on the prizes we can scrounge from generous sponsors. So far we have had donations from Premiership Our newest arrival, Sig ‘Sid the Sloth’ Smith has had a steep Football Teams, Formula One, supplement companies and a learning curve having to adapt to a new technical role as the few celebrities so we are sure the night will be a success. Housekeeper system manager; thankfully he has now got out of the habit of accidentally turning off the servers. Sig Smith Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) Detachment has settled in to the role very well and has shown an – by Cpl Rowe eagerness to learn, but has already learnt the crucial ability to bluff his case. He is highly motivated by his LSA of five After about a month in Theatre together, the HKIA J6 team pounds ninety two pence extra a day which has now bought have now got their feet fully under the table. Faults are minimal and maintenance is coming along nicely, which will hopefully means that we will be handing the detachment over in a lot better shape than when we first arrived.

Dedication to the jobs at hand resulted in the eye being well and truly taken off the ball when it came to the Multi-National 5 a side tournament. Despite sterling performances from SSgt ‘The Cat’ Sorley-Wilkinson and Cpl ‘Pest Shorts’ Rowe the team could not counteract the dead weight of Sgt ‘Bagpuss’ Austin and the Team went out of the tournament with not a single win to their name.

In an attempt to raise both morale and money for charity the plan was hatched to take part in the HKIA 10K fun run wearing only skin tight Morph suits. In a cruel display of mock solidarity the NOC offered to sponsor us if we did not do the run!

Qargha Detachment (QAA) - by Cpl Renton

Having arrived safely in HKIA it was time for Cpl ‘Zoidberg’ Code to wave goodbye to the rest of the team for his flight to Qargha, getting to appreciate the true size of Kabul from the air aboard his first Puma flight (it has only taken him 3 tours to get a ride in a helicopter…must try harder!).

After the short walk from the HLS to the gates in to Camp Qargha he was given a very warm welcome by Cpl Renton, whom he was replacing. After a whistle stop tour of key Sig Smith maintaining servers like a pro…. well almost personalities it was time to settle down to the job of dealing

18 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 with faults as well as “FAULTS”, with education and BFSAI expectation management forming a significant part of the workload. Qargha is a busy location that is slightly more SYSCON – by LCpl Tyrone Westall austere than the other sites in Kabul but being in the mountains means that the air is crisp and clean, something Systems Control (SYSCON) is responsible for the monitoring that cannot be said at any other location! Across all sites the of critical communication networks on the islands. SYSCON tour is going well, especially as we can now say that our has been busy throughout this tour, at times stretched due to replacements arrive next month. shortages in manpower. Nonetheless, we pulled through and have excelled in both our trade and additional duties.

The poor weather has caused several events to be delayed or cancelled, however that hasn’t stopped SYSCON having a bit of fun. LCpl Holly Harris decided to brave the cold weather and take the plunge by entering the 2015 South Atlantic Midwinter Swim, lasting all of about 10 seconds. LCpl Casey Allsopp, along with Sig Georgia Routledge, took part in the BFSAI Tri-Service Crossfit Games. Casey managed to surprise everyone by dead lifting 140kg, beating all the females. Meanwhile I participated in Exercise JOINT GUARDIAN 15/1, a bi-annual exercise testing BFSAI’s response to major incidents. The exercise involved staying out for 2 nights responding to various scenarios, from an RTA to demonstrators at Mare Harbour.

Cpl Code and co with their trusty Foxhound

Op GRITROCK, – by Capt Darling

Last Sunday marked the first week since the beginning of the Ebola outbreak in March 2014 that no new cases had been reported across the hotspot countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. This is particularly good news for Kambia district, which shares an extensive land border with Guinea’s Forecariah prefecture, where the virus has proved to be stubbornly resistant to eradication. Working in Kambia’s District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) for the past four and a half months has been eye-opening. LCpl Harris, AB McLatchie, SAC Lee and LCpl Mates enjoying a With a myriad of NGOs and charitable organisations, including summer get away to Peeble Island….don’t forget the suncream the WHO, UNICEF and CDC, together with the Sierra Leone Police, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and HMG’s DFID, it has not been without its challenges. With the SYSCON’s next challenge will be to form a team for Exercise nationwide response based around five ‘pillars’ – Alerts, Case CONDOR YOMP which recreates the 75 mile march undertook Management, Quarantine, Social Mobilisation and Safe and by from San Carlos Water to Port Dignified Burials – all run by different international partners, Stanley during the Falklands Conflict. It will be an arduous effective coordination and communication have been event and LCpl Wesley Wright has taken on the role of PTI for essential. As an operation, GRITROCK 3 has dealt with the the exercise and his training program should keep us all busy tail-end of the epidemic, yet the lessons learned will for the rest of our time in the Southern Hemisphere, because undoubtedly help to develop the Army’s institutional on completion of the Yomp, it’s time to start preparations for knowledge of operating in a humanitarian crisis-response the arrival of the RiP and for our return to the UK!! environment. From a personal perspective, having the chance to interact with local communities and witness the response CMIS – by Sig Joe Basson first-hand have been particular highlights, as has seeing the real difference that the UK’s contribution – both military and The Cable Maintenance Installation Section (CMIS) is civilian – has made to the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. responsible for all communications within the South Atlantic Islands. We recently saw the section change into the capable hands of Sgt Dave Cracknell following SSgt Malcolm Osborne’s departure to 22 Sig Regt. Although SSgt Osborne did his best to appear un-phased during his leaving speech, it was clear for all to see he would deeply miss everyone once he was gone.

Due to the appearance of better weather there has been an abundance of extra-curricular activities for CMIS personnel to attend, such as Heli trips to Pebble Island to see the vast array of wildlife and Leadership and Development days headed up by Lt ‘Danny’ Ciborowski. Also our own LCpl Chris Blackburn has been working tirelessly to organise adventure days for ISS. The highlight of these being the ‘Hercules Experience Flight’ where we found ourselves hanging off the back of a C130 tailgate at what seemed to be metres from the ground. UK Aid leading the way The pilot took great pleasure in throwing the aircraft around

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 19 arriving just in time for everyone to order from the breakfast menu (this was considered best part of the lesson apparently) before returning back to camp.

The Ex CONDOR YOMP team and Eurofighter. To clarify this is the ‘Before’ photo Cpl Lawton showing Col Lankester 11 Sig Bde the HQ as much as possible leaving more than one of us feeling slightly nauseas. The communication element of the exercise then filled the rest of the week. Personnel conducted a full set up of a From the 27-31 Oct a team of 5 from CMIS, will be teaming up Headquarters and then moved into lessons on unpacking and with SYSCON to complete Exercise CONDOR YOMP to raise securing of the trailer, voice procedure, antenna and money for the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund and the South propagation and the erection of a PU12 mast, detachment Atlantic Medals Association (82). routine and crypto. The above mentioned lessons were taught by Cpl Lawton, Cpl Bishoprick, Cpl ‘PTI can do comms All in all the last couple of months have been extremely busy (just)’ Heavy and LCpl Arneaud, who were able to provide a but all are still smiling and looking forward to the RiP from 16 lot of operational experience tempered with a broad Signal Regiment in November. knowledge of the trade. However, there was additional, yet unintentional pressure for them to teach as their lesson was Exercise HAWK THUNDER 1 – by Sig Greenwood also visited by Assistant Commander 11 Brigade, Col Lankester, and the Commanding Officer, Lt Col Hargreaves. As part of the restructuring 214 Signal Squadron is taking on the responsibility of providing support to a 1* They both seemed tremendously satisfied with the progress armoured headquarters. This means the Squadron will need which 214 Signal Squadron were making on the exercise. Not to do a lot of training! This training started in the last week of quite as satisfied as those who took part who all learnt a lot September on Ex HAWK THUNDER. The purpose of the and really improved our trade skills. exercise was to remind, revise and enhance the basic skills of communication skills of everyone in 214. 246 GURKHA SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj Whillis SSM WO2 (SSM) Gopal Krishna Saru

Operation NEWCOMBE 6 - by LCpl Naresh Tumbahangphe

Smiles and gestures are a universal nonverbal form of communication and play a crucial role in greeting people from around 22 different countries deployed on this operation. I apply this every morning before I get to my table to have my breakfast.

The day only gets better with the challenging yet rewarding jobs I accomplish which gives me immense pride and satisfaction by the end of the day. Realising that I am solely responsible for operating and maintaining communications for this operation and implementing that into my work ethic Sig Webber hard at work has helped me develop my skill on various levels. I’m responsible for a wide range of systems from military ones to welfare hardware, basically anything with wires I’m expected Ex HAWK THUNDER started with an Antenna and Propagation to know how to operate! I am also the only PTI here so take lesson followed by a trade test to determine everyone’s ‘start PT for the deployed personnel six days a week. state’ and ability and give the instructors an idea of where to set the level. Tuesday morning was all about convoy drills and The privilege of working with 1RGR has made my first ever driver training which consisted of three parts. Firstly we had operational deployment a remarkable one. In spite of being a few lessons. Secondly we had a vehicle line up were Cpl highly professional and disciplined soldiers, the very fact that ‘MT Man’ Hale and his LAD buddies checked our documents makes us ‘Gurkhas’ stand out from the rest is the ability to and vehicles. The third part was the convoy. We left camp adapt and perform effectively in any working environment with packet leader LCpl Arneaud leading the way; following without letting the workload affect the team spirit and our the route card directly to a well-known fast food restaurant; high morale.

20 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Exercise KHUKURI WARRIOR 2 - by LCpl Deephang Limbu winner. Sigr Ramlal was awarded the best endeavour accolade with the OC 246 GSS, Maj Willis, presenting the On 13 September 2015, 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron deployed much deserved trophy. to Warcop Training Camp for Exercise KHUKURI WARRIOR 2. This was a week long live firing exercise aimed at refreshing The training met its aim of making the soldiers of 246 GSS fieldcraft skills as well as building confidence to manoeuvre in more proficient at shooting, completing MATTS and giving live firing scenarios. The exercise also focused on the soldiers’ them the opportunity to revise their fieldcraft skills. Thank personal development through various debates and group you to Cpl Prem and his team who delivered an exceptional discussions on current affairs. The additional aim of this exercise, with all troops benefiting from the training. exercise was also to conduct MATT training. Exercise NORTHEN KHUKURI - by Cpl Saroj Rana The exercise started with basic fieldcraft revision and a WHT which was followed by ACMT on the Monday morning. The 2015 has been a busy year for 246 GSS due to the various ACMT was conducted on the Battle Hill Range where LCpl operational commitments. It was just before Christmas that a Sunil Rai achieved the top shot medal after scoring HPS. On Troop deployed to and soon another to the the concurrent activities the soldiers had lessons and WHT Falkland Islands. The remaining personnel were heavily tests on the GLOCK and the GPMG from Cpl Prem and Cpl involved in G200 events and organising charity events for Punya respectively. This time was utilised so that the soldiers earthquake relief. After a busy start, and once can get use to the weapons systems, ensuring that there everyone had returned, a well deserved Squadron personal drills were proficient before advancing to the live adventurous training was in order. fire part of the Exercise. On Wednesday afternoon the Squadron was joined by the CO 2 Signal Regiment, Lt Col After much organisation throughout the year, the Squadron Hargreaves, who actively took part on the shooting, setting managed to deploy on Exercise NORTHERN KHUKURI. This the bar high with his good shooting skills. was a week of Adventure Training at Capel Curig Training Camp in North Wales over the period 15 – 22 Aug 15. This Level 2 Adventurous Training offered an excellent opportunity to get involved in various team building and outdoor activities; a change of pace from that of deployment.

The Exercise Coordinator, Cpl Shiva, and all the instructors deployed to Capel Curig Training Camp on 15 August and soon found themselves managing all the stores and equipment ready for the main body arrival. On arrival the Squadron personnel were divided into 3 groups, carrying out different activities throughout the week. There were three main activities; mountaineering, mountain biking and cultural visit. Mountaineering was 16-18 km long, starting and finishing near to Capel Curig Camp. Participants also had the opportunity to brush up their navigation skills, leading the group to different checkpoints while enjoying the remarkable view of mountains The CO firing the GPMG and Llyn Cowlyd reservoir. The trail we undertook was the Marin Trail (Red Route) for 25kms. It was a bit of challenge to most of the participants because it was a technical course On the following morning the whole Squadron was taken on requiring risk taking and a lot of endurance. All participants to Warcop Training Area for the AFT. Despite the arduous enjoyed the experience, being out in the wildness with the terrain the whole Squadron managed to pass. The soldiers smell of wood going through the forest, this was only were occupied throughout the afternoon improving their interrupted with occasional pain which came from climbing IBSR drills and perfecting their accuracy. They also got the uphill. It was thrilling to descend downhill along a single track chance to fire their secondary weapon, the GLOCK, which through some woods, which included some spectacular trails eventually led into transitioning between rifle and pistol. This and even more spectacular falls! was later progressed to pairs fire & manoeuvre where individuals had to show their aggression and determination to overcome the enemy; a challenging but enjoyable range.

Finally the last day of the Exercise ended with inter section march and shoot competition where 2 Section came out as a

The intrepid mountain bikers of 246 GSS

The Exercise OIC, Lt Owain Miller, is a native to the area and lives not far from the Camp. He took all three groups to Conwy Castle for a cultural visit. All the groups were given tasks to complete while they explored the historic place and Sig Ramlal receiving best endeavour accolade from OC 246 GSS learn its history. It was good to see how cultures differ, even

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 21 from York to Conwy. Both steeped in history, however worlds apart.

When in north Wales you have to climb Snowdon; its highest mountain. Therefore on the last day a group took on the PYG track, exploring the stunning and mesmorising view of mountains. This was an amazing climb with the wet Welsh weather to keeping us company.

Exercise NORTHEN KHUKURI was a great success which provided the ideal opportunity for 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron personnel to develop individual’s courage and leadership skills, whilst enhancing a good team ethos. It was indeed a very worthwhile week for all members of the Squadron who certainly benefited from the various adventurous experiences.

Cpl Shiva matching the red route

3rd SIGNAL REGIMENT BULFORD

CO Lt Col A J Smith by a leaving meal for SSgt Mark Milton who is leaving to join RSM WO1 (RSM) M Stowell the Royal Australian Signals. We wish him and his family all the best. With the fun over, Overloon prepared to deploy to 202 SIGNAL SQUADRON one side, then the other side, of Westdown Camp as participants in the Land Component Power Visit where OC Maj R Moody Reacher, CCT-120, Falcon, MDOR (Multi-Deployable Ops SSM WO2 (SSM) K Mills Room) and DRASh were successfully deployed by members of the Troop to form the Advance Headquarters, under the It’s been a busy start after summer leave for 202 Signal watchful eyes of SSgt Shackleton and Sgt Dixon. Squadron. Inkerman Troop and Waterloo Troop were swiftly packed up and shipped out to Westdown Camp for Exercise Operational Shooting Competition Success – by Sig Keates IRON RESOLVE to run the EXCON. This large scale exercise ranged from remoting detachments into buildings to laying Operational Shooting competitions are made up of many fibre throughout near enough the entire exercise. We different matches which vary from being a Team Match where welcome lots of new faces to the Sqn, SSgt Steve Boyle, Sgt you will have a section of 8 men, 6 have an SA80A2 and two Si Whelan, Sgt Dave Wood, Sgt John Russell, LCpl Ennis, LCpl have LSWs. This type of Match will only get points for the Murphy, LCpl Butler and Sig Pomfret. These individuals are team and doesn’t count towards your individual score/ all quickly adjusting to Squadron routine. Congratulations go ranking. The other type of Match is an Individual Match. This to Sigs Gough, Woodcock, Smitton, Mills and Collett for counts towards your individual score and therefore your being selected for promotion to LCpl. Congratulations also go ranking in the competition. In an Individual Match everyone to Sgt Ewan Portwain and Cpl Shelley on their recent uses an SA80A2 and for a couple of matches you will use the promotions. We would also like to congratulate Lt Buttery Glock Pistol. who recently became a married man. A nice surprise for him was when his best man played a video of his entire troop lip An example of a shoot is the Short-Range Rural Contact. In syncing to the song My Way by Frank Sinatra. Prior to order to score 4 points you have to hit anywhere on the deployment, Overloon Troop enjoyed of a Troop day out to target, to score 5 points you have to hit within the inner ring Salisbury Racecourse, where LCpl Parrish won the largest on the target. In this Match you shoot from the 300m, 200m amount of the day in the final race with an £80 win, followed and the 100m positions; you shoot from the prone position at 300m, sitting position at the 200m position and you shoot from the standing position at the 100m point. This is all with a run down between the positions which make shooting somewhat more difficult when your breathing heavier and you have the pressure of time against you!

I have been shooting for my Regiment just coming up to a year now and I have taken part in COSC (Corps Operational Shooting Competition) where I came 2nd in the machine gun match, I got the best young shot for the Short-Range Rural Contact match and my team won the best non Ghurkha team. I have also competed in the AOSC (Army Operational Shooting Competition) where I finished 46th out of 416 fires, in the competition. Due to this I was awarded the Army 100 medal, is awarded to any soldier who achieves the rank of 100th place or higher in the competition. After the AOSC in 3 (UK) Division Advance Headquarters June/July I was selected to shoot for the Royal Signals

22 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 development team in the Methuen Cup in July. My score finalised their PACEX as the RLC turned up to move the 17 ISO placed me in the top 5 In the Royal Signals. containers of equipment and DRASh from Bulford to Westdown Camp. They had moved around half of them Due to my success in these competitions I have been selected before getting bored and deciding to smash them about a bit, to be a part of the BACST (British Army Combat Shooting much to SSgt ‘Jase-Cab’ Lowes’ distress. The 3 (UK) Div Main Team). If I get selected I will be going to America to learn and HQ consists of over 50 Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelters study the techniques that the American Combat Shooting (DRASh) containing 250 tables and 300 chairs. It is equipped Team use and to utilise them to improve my shooting ability with over 300 Magpie and 30 Housekeeper UADs and is further. After America I may also be selected to shoot for the supported by 6 Bowman FFRs running Data, VHF and HF nets, BACST for a month, not only representing the Corps but also a Reacher Detachment and 2 Falcon CPs. the Army. The build took Cambrai Troop around three days to complete, I would never have done so well had it not been for a great just in time for the arrival of Mons Troop and then the supporting team at my Regiment. Also the training that was infamous weekend where ‘Sherlock’ Haynes and ‘Cluso’ delivered from my Regiment while we were at Lydd and Urmston were left to stag on, failing to notice the swift Hythe ranges was excellent and it really helped the team and ‘removal’ of a 2.5 tonne Complex Fit Land Rover during the me to get to grips with the fast paced, and often tiring, night by a still unknown third party. Enough said on that. The matches. Having SSgt Sekendra coming down to Bulford CIS/ICS build then commenced during week two. Sig ‘Snap ranges before Christmas 2014 to coach the team with his Rep’ Bennett, on having no more DRASh pegs to hammer in, extensive knowledge and experience in the sport was went about setting the best lap time around the HQ (an extremely useful. He showed us many positions/techniques impressive 22 seconds). He also worked tirelessly whilst that most of us had never seen before and it really did laying out the eight Bowman Dismounts used to provide the improve the team as a whole and without doubt taught me HQ with its CNR and ComBAT capability. With help from, things that helped me become the shooter I am today. amongst others, Sigs ‘Bright Side’ Butler, ‘Don’t Panic’ Mannering and ‘Wide Boy’ Chadwick they rapidly laid out the 206 SIGNAL SQUADRON plethora of UCDs, UDTs and Loudspeakers in time for the RAF to come in and sabotage the whole operation. Some things OC Maj V Maddison never change. Power Troop installed some lights, turned on SSM WO2 (SSM) M Turner some generators and then played on their PlayStation. Sgt ‘Scarlet Pimpernel’ Gurung was in SysCON, or at least I think Exercise IRON RESOLVE 15 – by Lt Jack Hodder he was, and under the guidance of Sig ‘Casanova’ Casson he capably organised the deployment of the Falcon phone The Squadron has now started its autumn exercise period network, repeatedly ‘pushing’ plans out to enable the following a hard earned summer leave and that could mean multitude of SGAUs and DAUs spread around the HQ floor only one thing..... Exercise IRON RESOLVE. This year the CT6 plate. The third week saw the NER team, led by Cpl ‘Go To’ level exercise was held just outside Westdown Camp on Griffin, dig out blind to ensure the Magpie NATO SECRET Salisbury Plain, a stone’s throw from Knook Camp where it network was ready to go, allowing the Squadron to reach occurred last year. In the last week of August, Cambrai Troop, FOC. After a few visits and some final tweaking during week responsible for the establishment of the 3 (UK) Div Main HQ four, Exercise IRON RESOLVE 15 was ready to begin. SWE, and Mons Troop, accountable for its ICS infrastructure, Sat in the relative security of RadCon, LCpls ‘Top Trump’ prepared to depart on the 9 week deployment that lay ahead. Orme and ‘No Comms’ Burrill came out from behind the odd- Meanwhile, and with Normandy Troop deployed on a small- shaped shadow of the Squadron BSM, Cpl ‘One Tooth’ scale, low-level Falcon exercise, the two remaining Troops

3 (UK) Division Main Headquarters

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 23 Rennick, to run the show from a Bowman perspective as the Ex PRUISSIAN KIWI was a Staff Ride from Poznan following Divisional staff began to pour in to the HQ. After confirming the Russian Army’s advance through to Berlin in WW2 looking the intricate details of the Audio-Visual requirements for the at the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) they used seventeenth time, LCpl ‘Question Time’ Buxton proceeded to along the way and comparing them to modern TTPs. It also manage the steady flow of daily VTCs and MS Lync gave an opportunity to look at the German’s defences and conferences from the GOC’s Situational Awareness Room. On maybe what they did wrong after such a successful advance the service desk Sgt ‘1 Up’ Williams, after orchestrating a into Russia during Operation Barbarossa. relatively smooth RSOI package and HQ integration for the staff, donned a respirator and his webbing and proceeded to Arriving in Poznan we were met by our pre-deployed admin scare the staff away for the remainder of the exercise. The team, Sgt Dixon and Cpl Stanley who along with our coach Reacher crew chilled out for once as the rest of SysCon driver for the first half of the week took us to the hotel, continued to be a hive of activity, capably commanded by Lt where we were able to drop of suitcases. Some members of ‘Easy Shift’ Andrew. the group travelling considerably lighter than others with Cpl Forshaw winning the suitcase competition, which throughout the week produced some questionable outfits!

After breakfast we headed off to our first stand of the Exercise, a look at how the Russian Army stormed the city of Poznan and the Citadel. After a brief from the first syndicate it was time for the rest of the group to get involved with some group discussion. It didn’t take long before the Staff Officers Handbook came out and discussion of doctrine was in full flow. Maj Maddison stepped in and broke it up when it was clear that peoples divided opinions were getting nowhere. This gave us just enough time to have a look around the Citadel, museum and even a local dog show before heading back to the hotel. Back in the hotel, everyone descended onto the bar for an oversight of the following day. WO2 (YofS) Brown started his ritual of searching Wikipedia in attempt to gain further understanding to ‘impress’ those around hm.

3 (UK) Div Chief-of-Staff Col Stenning leading with the Pakistani VIP visit

As the exercise developed and the pace increased, the staff started to rely more and more on the Bowman network and despite a 24 hour period of inconsistent power it remained, for the most part, ‘in and working’. Sig ‘Sprout Job’ Packham found himself and his elite team of minions becoming increasingly busy, opening windows, sweeping floors and emptying bins in preparation for the visit of Pakistani Four Star General, Gen Rashad Mahmood. Throughout the exercise, Power Troop took occasional breaks from their gaming to turn on the ECUs as the staff complained about being too hot.... or was it too cold?.....or too hot?...... After a two week slog, the increase in excitement amongst the Div staff was noticeable as the Chief-of-Staff headed towards the tannoy system to broadcast ‘end-ex’. Then it was all over. At least for 3 (UK) Div staff as 206 Signal Squadron prepared to host 1 (UK) Div on Exercise RHINO STAFF. A mention and thanks must also go out to Capt ‘Chatty’ Maas, FofS ‘Horrocks’ Moore and YofS ‘Outta Here’ Excell for their guidance and support throughout the whole exercise.

The Squadron would like to thank SSgt (YofS) Excell, SSgt Lowes, Sgt Metcalfe, LCpl Cabourn and LCpl Dearden for all of their hard work over the past few years. They are all sadly moving on to bigger things and we would like to take this Exploiting technology……reading Wikipedia opportunity to wish them all the best in their future appointments. A few sore heads made it to breakfast the next morning Exercise PRUSSIAN KIWI – by Lt Zoe Andrew before we loaded back onto the bus and made a trip towards the border to Kostryzn, where we were met by the CO. After The already early start for Ex PRUSSIAN KIWI was made even another good day discussing TTPs and more doctrine, earlier when a text on Saturday afternoon was received from including looking at river crossings, showing the full extent of WO2 (FofS) Moore. This had everyone meeting at RHQ at the Russian Operation in their advance to Berlin. After a night 0345 on the Sunday morning in order to make an early flight in what was described to us as a “Faulty Towers” hotel and from . Following a quick bus and flight, both in which plenty of German beer, we headed back towards the Border the majority of people slept through, we arrived in Poznan, to Seelow Heights, with views back across the flat, open Poland for the first day of our Staff Ride. ground to the now derelict town of Koztrin. The group began to gain a huge appreciation of the vast amount of ground the

24 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Russian’s covered in such a short period of time. After A warm welcome is also extended to Maj Limbrey, the new Seelow Heights it was time to head into Berlin where we Officer Commanding, and the new 2IC, Capt Walczak, would spend the remaining three days of the exercise. returning from a strenuous and tireless three years spent in Southampton. The first day in Berlin allowed the group to take a trip out to Zossen and visit the Wehrmacht C2 and communications sites. Exercise PHOENIX FOCUS It was almost as if a syndicate had planned this part of the exercise with a guided tour around the bunkers covering a Worthy of note is 228 Signals Squadrons deployment with 71 large proportion of their stand. Returning back into the city Signal Regiment on Ex PHOENIX FOCUS 15, used to test all we completed the encirclement of Berlin up until 25 Apr 1945, elements of 71 Signal Regiment. Ten soldiers from 228 Signal once again showing how successful the Russian’s TTPs had Squadron deployed on the exercise, two that stood out were become during this advance. The day was finished in Cpl Clark and Sig Knight who helped co-ordinate the RHQ Ops Treptower Park where there are some hugely moving Soviet room as well as deploying to the detachments to offer sound war memorials. advice and tips to better the TacCIS; both were awarded the CO’s commendation for all their efforts.

Deployment with 71 Signal Regiment

71 Sig Regt with attached personnel from 228 Sig Sqn deployed on Ex PHOENIX FOCUS 15 (PF15), the unit Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE) which was intended to revise, train and test all elements of 71 Sig Regt. The exercise was conducted on Catterick and Warcop Training Areas (CTA & WTA) and began with a 2 Sig Gp UK Ops FTX (Ex HORSESHOE RESOLVE) where the Regt was validated to Collective Training Levels 2 and 3 (CT2/3). This was followed by a comprehensive training package to revise and validate core soldiering skills culminating in a Regimental Tactical CIS exercise. The personnel from 228 Sig Sqn where Cpl Clark, LCpl Farrell, LCpl Smith, LCpl Sutherland, LCpl West, Sig Brown, Sig Knight, Sig Hewison, Sig Lombardi and Sig Walton.

Ex HORSESHOE RESOLVE

Personnel form 228 Sig Sqn were split down and attached to the field Sqns. LCpl Farrell, LCpl West, Sig Brown and Sig Walton deployed with 68 Sig Sqn to assist in establishing robust VHF and HF communications network within the Sqn AOR. They were split down and got paired with Reserve Bowman detachments. A quick rest in the sun LCpl Sutherland, Sig Hewison and Sig Lombardi deployed with 31 Sig Sqn to assist in establishing robust VHF and HF Thursday saw the final day of stands and syndicate work and communications network within the Sqn AOR. They were looked at the German defences in the city, the final attack split down and got paired with Reserve Bowman detachments from the Russian’s in the storming of the Reichstag and the with LCpl Sutherland deploying with 31 Sig Sqn SCP. final few days of World War 2 in Europe. Finishing off in the Grober Tiergarten and Potsdamer Platz, the group also had LCpl Smith was attached to the FRT providing L1 assistance to the opportunity to visit elements of the old Berlin wall and the deployed Bowman detachments and Command Support Checkpoint Charlie. After a 14 mile tab around the city of Team (CST) detachments. LCpl Smith was working with Berlin the group were most definitely ready to undertake a Regular CS Eng SNCO’s who are posted to 71 Sig Regt. few drinks on the last night of the staff ride. Cpl Clark and Sig Knight were attached to the RHQ element 228 SIGNAL SQUADRON at 4 Bde UK Ops HQ, where they were watch keepers in a busy ops room. OC Maj R Limbrey SSM WO2 (SSM) N Cansfield Regimental Tactical CIS Phase

Like so many others, 228 Signal Squadron has seen their fair During this phase all 228 Sig Sqn personnel were share of arrivals and departures. It is with huge regret that attached to A2 Ech and RHQ. This was so that the we must say goodbye to WO2 (SSM) Cansfield. He has played reserves could get the most training value from the a pivotal role in ensuring the Squadron ran at maximum ex. Cpl Clark helped run the RHQ Ops room with efficiency whilst coupling that with a robust but charming LCpl Sutherland, Sig Knight and Sig Walton. LCpl demeanour that has fused the members of 228 Signal Farrell helped run the A2 Ech Ops room with LCpl Squadron together, creating a truly unbreakable and loyal Smith, LCpl West, Sig Hewison and Sig Lombardi. team across the ranks and receiving not one but two leaving LCpl Smith and LCpl West were also acting as FRT. gifts, testament to his ability as the SSM. Cpl Clark and LCpl Sutherland were tasked to visit WO2 (SSM) Riste is conducting the HOTO throughout Oct and the deployed detachments and give them tips and will be the new SSM from 16 Oct 15. SSgt (YofS) Stevens is tricks when deployed out in the field and to help the also leaving us to move across the road to the Trg Wing detachment commanders have a better set up and where he will be responsible not just for the Squadron’s assist with getting the HCDR Data network IAW. training but now a Regiment.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 25 AT and Day a number of Armd RRB, in the form of Bulldogs and utilising the Panther platforms that are already on the Squadron’s During this phase 228 Sig Sqn personnel went back fleet. The Panther platform is an ideal vehicle to use in this to the Sqns they were attached to for Ex role due to its rapid-deploy ability and its versatility in a HORSESHOE for an AT and sports day where the number of communication roles. Added to this it can also be Regiment went to a civvy run AT centre and deployed with a GPMG in the remote weapon system role to participated in various events for the CO’s Cup. The give it added force protection. day after there was a sports day consisting of football, and . The concept of the new Armd Fwd HQ is that it will be self- sufficient and self-sustained. It will deploy with lift capability All the 228 Sig Sqn personnel integrated well and to transport all crews and staff in the twelve Bulldogs. This got praise from whoever they were attached to. Cpl would mean there would be no need for any B Fleet vehicles Clark and Sig Knight got presented the CO’s to support the HQ with added tentage and stores. commendation and the CO’s coin. Exercise IRON RESOLVE – by Lt Lockwood Transition from 12 (Armoured Infantry) Brigade Main Headquarters to 3rd () Division Armoured Alpha Troop 228 Signal Squadron deployed onto Ex IRON Forward Headquarters – by Sgt Coleman RESOLVE to provide and develop the Armd Fw HQ capability. The headquarters consists of eight Bulldogs backed onto an 228 Signal Squadron is entering a new chapter in its well open plan penthouse construction. It has received a lot of established history. It is moving away from its traditional attention from all parts of the MoD and has had several VVIP roots of supporting a Bde HQ either on Salisbury Plain or in visits, the most notable being the CGS accompanied by the sandy dust-bowl of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Since General Sharrife (’s defence minister) for which the moving over the road from Ward Bks to Kiwi Bks in Bulford headquarters went through some interesting changes. and joining the recently formed 3 Signal Regiment, the Squadron will be re-rolled to provide a Div Armd Fwd HQ for A throw back from days past 228 Signal Squadron resolved the commander and his staff of the rd3 Division. the muddy floor by the use of RollaTrak so that Mess furniture could be placed on top. The drab green walls of the tent Having been a member of the Squadron myself as a young were covered by paintings displaying glorious moments in on my first tour, and now back in the Squadron once Royal Signals history. The splintered battered GS tables were again as a SNCO I have seen the vast change in the way we do masked with pristine white table clothes and decorated with our business as a Squadron. Mess silver. The visitors’ senses were further stimulated with homemade cakes native to their home countries. The Squadron will officially lose its association with the mighty ‘Ace of Spades’ Bde in late 2015. With this commitment still going on in the background many members of the Sqn, from the busy Ops team down to the troops on the shop floor, are all preparing for what the ‘IRON DIVISION’ has to throw at us.

Predominately 228 is a Bde Signal Squadron, deployed as two main communication troops each providing the Bde with different deployable HQ’s in the form of a Main and Fwd HQ’s. This is sure to change with the new commitments as the Squadron will have to provide a Div Armd Fwd HQ as well as Armd RRB detachments. This will also require an added uplift in the Sqn’s A Fleet vehicles.

The new HQ is scaled for twelve 436 Bulldogs that will provide the Div staff with individual cells so that they can plan and execute the battle in front of them. The Squadron will provide

Gen Sharrife in the back of one of the Bulldogs

A birds eye view of the new 3XX Armd Fwd HQ CGS and Gen Sharrife enjoying coffee in the Fwd HQ

26 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Throughout members of Bravo Troop maintained the tactical involved parties. It was safe to say that General Sharrife had exterior of the headquarters, even Capt Joiner (Adjt) donned a splendid time and was seen to be smiling a great deal whilst cam cream in anticipation of the visit. The visit itself was a in the polite company of 228 Signal Squadron, hosted by the great success and culminated with a group photo of all the CO.

10th SIGNAL REGIMENT

CO Lt Col B Fitch After leaving Champex the following day the group used RSM WO1 (RSM) J Attwell public transport to reach Le Chable and subsequently Les Ruinettes, finding respite in a short trip to the Cabane Du Exercise TIGER HAUTE - by the Ex TIGER HAUTE team Mont Fort. By comparison the fifth day was far more mentally and physically challenging. It was probably the Ex TIGER HAUTE was a 10 Sig Regt expedition to trek the hardest and the longest day of our trek, favoured with long-distance footpath through the French and Swiss Alps beautiful sunshine clear blue skies. known as the classic ‘Walker’s Haute Route’. The route is a linear 180km high-level public footpath running from The journey from Cabane du Mont Fort to Cabane de Prafleuri Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland. The route has two routes: one is direct in terms of distance and time; passes the greatest collection of 4,000m peaks in the Alps, the other is longer but more scenic and transits above the including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. It crosses eleven valley providing wonderful views of the Combin Massif before passes and gains more than 12,000m in height whilst its crossing three passes on the way to Cabane de Prafleuri. This stunning scenery makes it a strong contender for the title of was the route we chose. the ‘Most Beautiful Trek in Europe’. We set off from Cabane du Mont Fort at 0745 after having The expedition began at Gatwick airport, from where 10 breakfast, following a narrow path that contoured round the members of the Regiment took a turbulent flight to Geneva, mountain with a steep slope below. The magnificent view of Switzerland. After collecting our baggage we were surprised high mountains was seen along the horizon with a sea of by the intense heat as we left the airport. We then boarded a clouds covering the hills and the valleys. After walking an minibus which took us to Chamonix in France, giving us a view hour or so a splendid panoramic view of magnificent Combin from the valleys flanked by mountain ranges. Massif could be seen across the valley.

After spending the night in a rustic youth hostel we took the The day was getting warmer as we kept contouring the bus to Argentiere ready to start our trek, initially walking to mountain where the beautiful Lac de Louvie could be seen Le Tour. We then climbed a total of 900m to the Col de Balme below. We continued on the rocky valley replenishing our which had amazing views of Mont Blanc and the peaks of water from the few streams that could be found en route. Switzerland. We trekked to a picturesque small settlement We then ate lunch before climbing up Col de Louvie (2,921m). just outside of Trient where we stayed in the Refuge Du Peuty To our delight during lunch time, a seated Ibex was seen static for the night. at the distant mountain approximately 500m away. Whilst we argued whether it was dead or alive, it suddenly changed its The following day we were woken at first light by the sound position and ascended the mountain. of Swiss cow bells from cattle directly across the road from the Refuge. Naturally everyone was delighted with this Shortly, after a few more ascents and descents, we arrived at unexpected early morning call. We had an interesting Col de Louvie around 1300. From the Col de Louvie, we breakfast of garlic sausage and chocolate brioche which we traversed the barren landscape known as “Grand Desert” had carried from the previous stage. We left at 0800 walking which was interspersed by glacial ponds but otherwise the short distance across the base of the valley and began our resembled the surface of the moon. After walking around ascent towards Alp Bovine. Though the ascent was fairly some rocky boulders and more steep climbing, we finally steep the woods afforded us welcome cover from the rising arrived at the highest peak of the route, Col de Prafleuri sun. After gaining approximately 400m in height we broke (2,965m) at around 1530. From there, after the break, we from the woods and continued on the open trail across high undertook the steep climb down to the Cabane de Prafleuri. pastures. After several hours we reached the refreshments The total time for the leg was around 9 ½ hours. chalet at Alp Bovine at 1,987m and stopped for lunch and water replenishment with some welcome shade from the From the Cabane de Prafleuri our journey took us to the midday sun, which was now beating down with temperatures mountaineering village of Arolla and then to the Cabane du in the mid-30s. Moiry, a high-altitude mountaineering lodge with a breathtaking vista of the Moiry Glacier. Over subsequent days After a 40 minute break minutes we started our descent we trekked to the town of Zinal, moving into the German- towards Champex through pasture interspersed with more speaking side of Switzerland. pine woods and with spectacular views of Martigny down in the valley. The descent gradually became steeper and more On the ninth day, we left our lodgings and headed towards challenging; with no respite from the increasing the start of the day’s trek which led up through a dense alpine temperatures, frequent water breaks were required. forest. The path was a mixture of fairly flat and level walking and the occasional grueling, steep climb. It didn’t take long Eventually we reached the town of Champex Du Lac in the for us to gain height and break out of the forest into alpine Valley, characterized by its scenic lake at approximately meadow towards the top of the mountain range where we 1,500m. Everyone was grateful to reach the accommodation, had a fairly easy walk as we contoured along the range the Pensien en Plein Air and escape from the heat. towards the Forcletta, the high point of our day at 2,873m. The path up to the pass was again challenging but mercifully

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 27 short and offered great views of the previously unseen ranges well as the stunning scenery and panoramic views for which it we had left behind. The descent was also gentle and a well is renowned. built-up track gave us easy footing on the way down into the valley and towards our destination for the day, the small Overall, the expedition proved to be an excellent challenge village of Gruben. for the participants. The route lived up to its reputation for being one of the most beautiful walks in Europe whilst being The hotel was unmistakable as it was the largest building by mentally and physically arduous and is a great opportunity for far and could be seen from some distance - a welcome sight those that would wish to undertake it in future. for us all. The first German speaking village of the walk was as picturesque any we had seen so far and we were looking 225 SIGNAL SQUADRON forward to good night’s sleep. OC Maj O Finnie The next morning began with the best breakfast so far – a SSM WO2 (SSM) G Moffat range of cereals, yoghurts, bread, jam, cheese, and cold cut meat was ours for the taking before the day’s ascent. The UATL (Zero to Hero) Course – by LCpl Jervis hike started at the hotel’s door, leading into the woods and up towards the alpine meadows above. We raced the sun as There were three from the Squadron that were lucky enough it climbed to rise above the valley; the higher we were when it to be asked to work alongside 40 Signal Squadron to be given broke the opposite ridge, the cooler it would be for us. We the chance to gain some quality adventurous training met daylight as we broke the treeline onto a high, rolling plain qualifications. On the first day six of us arrived at Ballykinler dotted with small tarns and grey, mossy boulders. in the pouring rain, knowing that we could easily get four seasons in one day being in Northern Ireland and starting to At the summit we enjoyed a period of brief respite, looking think that this may become a long (and wet) seven weeks of into the rocky valley below. The descent was long, taking us AT. over small patches of snow hidden in peak shadows, fallen boulders laid in long teardrop-shaped fields, and mountain Our aim for the first week was to gain our Rock Climbing streams that gradually built speed and width as they coursed Single Pitch Foundation (RSF) qualification. Luckily this meant towards the basin below. Part way down the mountainside, that we were indoors for part of it so it was a relief to be we were treated to a fantastic view from a spur jutting from getting out of the ‘Northern Ireland Summer’. This was a the ridge. Looking down the length of the valley we saw a challenging week in all aspects, whether it was knot tying or glacier, vast and still at one end, and a deep wooded gorge at just working on our climbing skills and finding foot holds that the other dwarfing the buildings and bridges around it. We didn’t exist for Cpl James ‘shaky leg’ Allen. thought we could stop for lunch, but a window of opportunity was already closing: if we made good time to the nearby cliff- Carrying on over the next few weeks with our foundation top village of Jungen, we could catch a cable car to the valley qualifications we then moved on to our Kayak 2 Star floor and avoid a long slog down the mountainside . We Foundation (K2F), Open Canoe 2 Star Foundation (O2F) and hurried into the woods, hugging a dry stone wall as we went, Summer Mountain Foundation (SMF). First was the SMF; we filtering between grazing cattle and dodging cow pat (with were lucky enough to be out walking and to actually enjoy varying success) before finding the picturesque Jungen. some sunshine - even if it did only last for the one day! Being wet and windy for the majority of the time, it seemed like The village was quiet and removed, had its own pool and there were a lot of snipers on the mountains given the restaurant, and was disturbed only by the occasional ringing amount of time I was spending on my backside. of cow bells. It was almost a shame to leave it behind, but when we found that our hotel had regular beds, linen, We then moved onto the canoeing and kayaking phase. It showers, and even a sauna, we put Jungen behind us and was beginning to become intense and we were realizing that found our way to the heart of St Niklaus. there were a lot of different skills that we needed to master quickly. None of us had much experience with either For the final leg of the expedition we had around 18 canoeing or kayaking. It was an enjoyable few weeks, kilometres left to cover. The route ran through a scenic valley especially learning capsizing drills and trying to fight the urge from St Niklaus to our final destination in Zermatt, passing not to just pop out and wait to be rescued. The highlight for through a couple of small villages on the way. We set off all was probably a river trip around Strangford Lough where around 0745 and after a couple of hours we stopped in a we were able to camp and get out the BBQ for a change. We small town for quick refreshments before moving back onto were finally able to catch some sun and were followed most the track. We decided that the best route would be to follow of the way by sea lions even if Sgt Robbie Robertson the train tracks all the way to Zermatt, but this was not as expressed how he would bash them away if they came too easy as expected as one part of the route had been closed close (not that he was scared or anything). due to a landslide. This meant we had to follow a road for around 1km until we reached a golf course - once across we Our final two weeks consisted of Rock Climbing Supervisor were again on course. As we were making good time we (RCS) and Mountain Leader Training (MLT). We knew these decided to stop for an hour for lunch at a small picnic area two were the most important and what we were developing near the base of a mountain. The walk was full of lovely towards. First up was MLT and we had Gortex at the ready. views from the bottom of the mountains. Luckily this route This was a good week of developing our map reading skills was one of the easier ones with only a couple of steady slopes and practising how to lead a group. We managed to bag as we headed to Zermatt. After 4 hours we finally had our some quality climbs in the Mourne Mountains and didn’t get first sight of our destination. A little further on we lost too much. reached the centre of town, where all we had to do (with the use of Google Maps) was find the Youth Hostel. Once we We finished with RCS; we had been looking forward to this arrived at the accommodation we had to wait 2 hours to the most as we thought that we would get a chance to work check in and then we were able to relax and unwind. on our climbing skills again but this wasn’t the case. It was probably the busiest week and we were constantly under the Zermatt proved to be a lively town with plenty to occupy us pressure of being assessed. Learning how to set up different until our return to Geneva two days later. The Haute Route climbs and abseils was great to practice and become delivered the mental and physical challenge we expected as confident in doing so.

28 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 It was hard dusting off the uniform and coming back into CO’s Cup Football – by LCpl Stokes Squadron life after seven weeks of AT, although it’s probably what our bodies needed after coming back battered and The Squadron’s football team travelled over to the mainland bruised from it all. Now we are going to have to put the to defend not only their CO’s cup football trophy, but with qualifications to good use and get the others from the the chance of also winning the CO’s cup outright. This wasn’t Squadron out and also gain some more experience for to be an easy task with some good quality teams also on ourselves at the same time. show; we knew that we had to be at our best to be victorious.

NI Cross Country League – by LCpl Buckley With 4 teams entered in the 7 a side league, each team would play 3 games in the quest to be crowned champions. This was On Wed 23 Sept 2015, 225 (ECM (FP)) Sqn entered a number made somewhat harder with the competition being played on of teams into the 4 x 2 mile cross country relay race that took a full size pitch and for a duration of 30 minutes each half; it part at Hillsborough Lake, Northern Ireland. 225 Sig Sqn were was certainly going to be testing. there to participate in the NI Cross Country Minor Units category. We started well; a 4-1 victory over 241 Sig Sqn set us well on our way to winning and also helped us acquire a healthy goal As we arrived we were welcomed to the event and were difference. The second game was again a comfortable shown the routes and separated into our teams prior to the victory, with a 4-0 win against 251 Sig Sqn putting us in a race. The time had arrived; the race started at 1330 with many commanding position. Going into the last game, we knew different local regiments taking off to complete the first loop that as long as we didn’t lose by 6 goals or more, we would of the relay around Hillsborough Lake. be crowned the victors of both the football competition but more importantly the overall winners of the CO’s cup Following the first lap many tired, out of breath faces were competition. Unfortunately we encountered a disappointing relieved to hand over the baton to the next team member. 3-2 defeat in the final game by 243 Sig Sqn, however this was 225 (ECM (FP)) Sqn were looking well as the teams come in; not enough and we ensured that the goal deficit left us in a with one of our teams in 3rd position and our other teams good position, meaning we won the competition on goal also looking strong. The second lap continued to take the difference, by a comfortable 6 goals meaning that the breath out of many soldiers that were competing; however it trophies would be coming back to Northern Ireland didn’t stop the position of 225 (ECM (FP)) Sqn as they still sat comfortably in 3rd position with less distance between the team ahead.

As the race passed the halfway mark the teams were starting to separate and the distance getting greater between - although it didn’t stop some speedy starts to the third leg with teams confident they could catch their opponents in front. As the teams closed in to the start point for the third time the teams were ready for the final lap, with 5 AAC ‘flying’ in first place and 321 (EOD) team quite a distance behind them, then 225 Sig Sqn (ECM (FP)) following on, still holding on to 3rd position.

Finally, the race came to an end in the same positions as the previous leg: 225 (ECM (FP)) Sqn are delighted to have held onto 3rd position. Furthermore, we witnessed one of our other teams in a compelling sprint finish between Cpl Andy Exercise TIGER SPEY – by LCpl Brewster Harker and a member of the NI Garrison female team. Unfortunately Cpl Harker cost his team a place, however they Ex TIGER SPEY was a type 2 Adventurous Training (AT) still finished in a good position. As the day came to an end, package for military personnel within 225 Signal Squadron. the prizes and winners were announced and 225 Sig Sqn (ECM The nine day exercise saw exercising troops take part in (FP)) were delighted to receive the 2nd place minor unit and mountain biking, kayaking and white-water rafting. As well as 3rd overall position. this, the troops also found it possible to do some paddle boating and canoeing too. The exercise took place in the In summary, the cross country relay was a really good and a Cairngorm region of the Scottish highlands. successful day for participants that competed for 225 Sqn, especially the winning team consisting of Capt Walker, Capt The troops arrived on Fri 4 Sept with planned activities to Facey, SSgt (SQMS) Darlington and LCpl Buckley. start on the Sun 6 Sept. On the Saturday the troops made their way to the Braemar Gathering for the 200th annual Braemar Games to represent their Squadron and the rest of the Regiment in the 4x100m relay. The Queen was also in attendance, however our event took place before she arrived. The following day the troops split into two groups, one group to the kayaking and another to do the mountain biking.

The mountain biking took place on the Laggan Wolftrax trail centre with SSgt (SQMS) Darlington as our instructor. The trails consisted of some rocky, technical routes and some longer dirt trails with tighter bends. So there was more than enough for the troops to practice and enhance their skills. The second day of mountain biking was in the Nevis Range trail centre. The route we went down is where the world cup for mountain biking takes place and at the beginning was very technical so needless to say, I spent more time sliding along

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 29 the ground on various body parts than I did actually riding the that an hours sleep on an outside bench was necessary at this route. The bottom part of the route was more like a dirt track stage! The afternoon’s excitement included several of the as opposed to rock face and there was quite a lot of jumps party spending the majority of their afternoon in a certain and steps to go over, which was a lot more enjoyable than the famous chicken restaurant while the others toured the slower technical riding. shopping district and surroundings. Desipte the alarming lack of cultural endeavour shown throughout, the day was an The kayaking took place at the Loch Morlich water sports overall success, everyone enjoyed their day out and all centre and on the River Spey with Sgt Rowe as the instructor. returned to Bicester unharmed, which is always a bonus. In perfect weather the troops practised their kayaking skills for 8km on the River Spey to row as efficiently as possible Elizabeth Cross Presentation – by 2Lt Nathanial Ayling before moving onto Loch Morlich. On the Loch the troops also found time to do some paddle boating and canoeing. As part of Bicester Garrison, 241 Sig Sqn were lucky to help host a rare ceremony to deliver the Elizabeth Cross to the The final activity we all took part in as a collective was white family of Pte Gerald Chapman, 1st Gloucestershire water rafting. For this we were broken down into two boats, Regiment. with the more senior members fitting into one boat and the juniors into another. This made things a bit more competitive, This medal, commissioned by HM Queen Elizabeth II, though all in the name of good fun, things like attempting to recognises the family members of British Armed Forces killed tip the other raft and racing parts of the water were a in conflict or as a result of terrorist acts, after the Second constant. We stopped about half way down for a quick snack World War. Its key role is to acknowledge the sacrifice that and a few jumps off of the rocks into the water and despite families of service personnel have made and continue to the water being absolutely freezing, it was still a good laugh. make.

Once we had finished with our final activity it was time for a Pte Chapman was one of about 150,000 troops from South quick clean up and a bit of packing before heading out onto Korea, the United States, and participating UN nations, who the town one last time for a good meal and a final drink. It lost their lives fighting for the South against the Chinese in was then a case of a quick once over in the morning, handing the North in the which started on June 25, 1950. back accommodation and then a long journey ride home. It was during the Battle of Imjin River in 1951 that Pte Chapman was killed. Only a few dozen soldiers managed to 241 SIGNAL SQUADRON make it back to the UN lines, with many being captured by Chinese forces; but Pte Chapman was thought to have died OC Maj K Edkins making his way to safety the day after the battle ended, SSM WO2 (SSM) MC Beckett although nobody knows for sure.

241 Signal Squadron Cohesion Day – by Sig J Smith Lt Craig Sumner, SSM WO2 Marc Beckett and 2Lt Nathaniel Ayling attended the small service on behalf of 241 Signal On 1 Oct 15, 241 Sig Sqn visited HMNB Portsmouth to see HMS Squadron to witness the award. In attendance and to deliver Victory, which is held within the Historic Dockyard located on the Cross and Scroll on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, was Lord the base. Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Tim Stevenson who delivered the Cross and Scroll to Derek Chapman, the brother of Pte The day had been organised by LCpl Jase ‘the loose cannon’ Chapman. The service offered an opportunity to meet Buley, whose attitude towards refreshments caused his surviving veterans of the Korean War and inspirational ex minibus to arrive significantly later than the rest of the party. prisoners of war, many of whom spent nearly 2 years in PoW That is unless you count the small group that travelled in their camps. own vehicle and got lost, which resulted in them driving around Portsmouth for an hour. 243 SIGNAL SQUADRON

Eventually everybody arrived at the Historic Dockyard and OC Maj E Ballard started to take a self guided tour of HMS Victory. There was SSM WO2 (SSM) P Brown plenty of information about the ship available while walking round, unless you were too busy trying to dodge every low Exercise CANPADDLE - by Cpl Pye beam and staircase or awkwardly placed brackets on the floor! Nevertheless it was quite educational and there were There are definitely worse places in the world to go canoeing plenty of people to ask questions about the ship and its than the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Exercise CANPADDLE is contents. Having absorbed as much naval information as was an annual AT package that affords individuals with existing possible, most of the Sqn were ready to experience whatever canoeing qualifications to improve their own paddling and else the wonderful city of Portsmouth had to offer - at least leaderships skills. As a 3* open boat and Level 1 instructor I that was all members except LCpl Gurung, who had decided jumped at the opportunity to take part in this amazing trip.

The boats were packed full of food and other essentials and the first expedition got underway with 4 days paddling down the River Kootenay, tackling grade 1 and 2 rapids.

30 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Ocean Diver Course - by LCpl Gomes

I have always been interested in snorkelling and diving, however I had no formal qualifications and so decided to apply for the Ocean Diver Course; the entry level to the sport. The added bonus being that the course was to be held in the warm waters of Cyprus.

I arrived in Dhekelia excited, ready to fulfil my ambition and soon realised there was a lot to learn. The course was broken down into many subjects from the basic principles of the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) and dive safety, to ‘actions on’ in an emergency above or below the surface. The first day began with a basic swimming test followed by classroom theory. Then it was off to the pool to try out the SCUBA. Breathing through the mouth felt A lot of mileage was covered, resulting in a great deal of awkward in the beginning and the highlight of the practice experience gained in both solo and tandem canoes. The was the spaceman sensation of neutral buoyancy. tandem boats always created some entertaining disagreements.

The evenings were spent by a log fire. A very generous supply of steaks and chicken fillets boosted our energy levels and went down a treat. Camping out in the wilderness, miles from any roads or towns was an education; we had to construct a hoist to keep our food barrels away from any bears that might be lurking in the background. Everyone found their own little jobs, which included chopping wood, cooking and organising games. We were always guaranteed a good night’s sleep after a long day of paddling.

The second and third days were progressively harder; honing the drills from the first day and practicing new skills of buoyancy control and mask clearance whilst immersed. The depths required now exceeded that of the pool, so the practical transitioned to sheltered waters, culminating with a theory assessment of dive equipment and hand signals. My confidence grew as I learned to adjust my body to the increase in pressure as the depth descended to 6 metres.

On day four training moved to the open water within the Our second expedition progressed with another 4 day trip, confines the UK Sovereign Base Area. The effects of diving this time down the Red Deer River which was full of grade 2 on the body, how to plan and conduct a dive and how to and 3 rapids with the occasional grade 4 section which react to an incident learned previously were forefront in my resulted in a few capsizes. The paddling experiences gained mind. The dives now went beyond 10 metres, making it in Canada greatly exceeded those ever possible in the UK; this imperative that the pressure on the ears could be cleared. was mainly due to the standard and quantity of the rapids. I This dive was an assessment of all competencies which I was would highly recommend anyone with a 3* Open Boat and pleased to have passed allowing me to progress to the final Level 1 Canoe Instructor qualifications to apply for this AT day. next year as it was a trip of a lifetime!

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 31 The morning of the event approached and the rain cleared, giving us perfect race conditions for the event. The team started at 0600 and we seemed to make good progress to the first checkpoint. Unfortunately, as we approached the checkpoint eager to fuel up, we noticed a large gap where our admin team, led by LCpl Craig Taylor, should have been. Apparently, due to their early start they had managed to become geographically misplaced, leaving the team to push on ‘un-admined’.

Approaching the half way point of the event, with the admin team’s misdemeanour in the past, we finally caught up with them at checkpoint 5. Despite Cpl Christian being the first member of the team to experience a difficult leg of the event (although he was by no means the last), we were told we were on for a very respectable 12 hour pace. This lifted the team’s spirit and encouraged us to push on.

The last day of the course was the confirmation dive down to 20 metres and the deepest you can go as an Ocean Diver. The group set out on a 40 minute boat ride until we reached a wreck called the Zenobia. Hundreds of people dive the wreck each year because of its sheer size and the abundance of marine life. It sank in 1980 and measures 183 metres, with the top of the wreck 23 metres underwater. The Zenobia had been a ferry, and was full of cars and trucks when she sank, many of which could be seen still chained to the wreck.

After a great day diving, my expectations had been surpassed. As a newly qualified Ocean Diver, my interest will now become a hobby. With the wreck dive recorded in my logbook, I plan to complete the ten dives required for Sports Diver and beyond…

251 SIGNAL SQUADRON The team arrived at checkpoint 7 for some hot food, still in OC Maj G Darke high spirits with the last of the hilly legs behind them; at this SSM WO2 (SSM) MJ Cope point the team had their sights on a finishing time of 14 hours.

The summer has been busy for 251 Sig Sqn, with not only the During leg 8-9, having already missed out on the massage he ceremonial period in full swing but also numerous demanding had been dreaming about all day, LCpl Pretty struggled with events to field teams for. The Sqn, as always, met these a bout of ‘itchy knees’ due to his hay fever. With no one to commitments head on and pulled together to ensure that 251 blame but himself, he tried to take this out on the other team was able to put in a strong performance, representing both members, much to their amusement. Following a quick leg the Regiment and the Corps. wash, his ailment was cured and his toys were put back where they belonged. This proved to be a valuable morale boost for TRAILWALKER 2015 - by Cpl Christian 75% of the team as they neared the finish.

In the summer of 2015, with TRAILWALKER15 approaching As we came to the last 5km of the 100km run, we found fast, it looked like the 251 Sig Sqn TRAILWALKER team was ourselves in a head to head race with another team from 2 going to have a very hot and challenging 100km event ahead RGR. With every team member carrying some form of injury, of them. The night before the event however, the team, this race pushed us as a team to get through the final comprising of Lt Sam Hodgson, Sgt Jamie Hatch and Cpl Luke 5km, finishing in a time of 13 hours 31 minutes, and in 15th Christian, couldn’t set their tents up quick enough, due to the place overall. Relieved that the event was over, (Lt Hodgson severity of a torrential downpour. The final team member, in more ways than one) we couldn’t fault how well we had LCpl Scott Pretty, was busy carb-loading with his favoured pulled together as a team, or the great job the admin team snack of choice, a large, uncooked, garlic naan bread. had done in supporting us.

32 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Lanyard Trophy 2015 - by SSgt Skelhorn all team members that started. Unfortunately, after 16 hours and just short of check point 9, the female team were forced After receiving the news LANYARD TROPHY 2015 was to take to retire due to injury making the team too few numbers to place in the Yorkshire Dales National Park on 12 Sep 15, Lt continue. A big well done to both teams who showed great Chris Gammond of 251 Sig Sqn was keen to ensure that he determination and teamwork throughout. was the male team captain and equally as committed, Capt Elizabeth Eldridge took the lead with the female team. As volunteers were trawled from around the Regiment, the admin team were busy organising a training camp in Brecon. The training camp in SENTA was designed to be a challenging two week culmination to the individual training carried out within the Squadrons. At the end of this camp the final team members would be selected to participate in the event.

The training camp was managed carefully by Lt Chris Gammond to ensure that no team members were pushed too hard and injured. Instead he focussed on long distance tabs, at a manageable speed, over various routes around the Brecon Beacons. All team members appreciated the balance of training and recovery time over the two week period and although inevitably there was the odd injury picked up along the way, the team remained strong and emerged well prepared after their two weeks on the hills.

On Friday 11 September 2015 the teams made their way to Horton in Ribblesdale in time for the Captains’ brief and accommodation allocation. After receiving 216 Sig Sqn’s film production of the route, the teams got an early night in their luxury 18x24 accommodation, in preparation for the early morning start. Breakfast was at 0330 and any worries of Male team - Capt Spencer, Lt Gammond, Sgt Best, LCpl anyone sleeping in was dealt with by 216 Sig Sqn blasting AC/ Easter, LCpl Cruddas, LCpl Wright, Sig Boddington and Sig DC out of the loudspeaker to motivate the competitors. Willis. Luckily our tent was next to the speakers, so we had no problems getting everyone up. Female team - Capt Eldridge, Capt Whitby, Sgt Cunningham, LCpl Girt and LCpl Doherty. The teams were set off in darkness and the pouring rain, but that didn’t dampen the atmosphere. The teams were in high spirits and held a steady pace, knowing there was a demanding route ahead of them. The ground was varied and during the early part of the course Sig Willis misjudged a piece of ground and sunk up to his waist. He got out however, washed himself off in a stream and cracked on! Both teams maintained a steady pace through the early check points, with confident navigational skills from Capt Eldridge for the females and a joint effort from Capt Luke Spencer and Lt Gammond in the male team.

251 Signal Squadron Summer Function - by Cpl Hammond

On a not-so-sunny Thursday afternoon, 251 Signal Squadron held its annual summer families day at Hawley Lake. Luckily the rain held off as members of the Squadron started to arrive and after a quick safety brief by Cpl Craige Hammond and a short word from the OC, Maj Gavin Darke, the afternoon began.

The first activity on the agenda was canoeing. Not surprisingly Sgt Jamie Hatch was first to jump in (and fall out A combination of the undulating terrain and poor weather of) the canoe, much to the amusement all the children. With conditions made for an extremely testing route and the teams the rain still holding off we took advantage of the opportunity went through highs and lows. The weather reflected the and enjoyed the BBQ, which went down an absolute treat, mood of LCpl Cruddas, who had to dig deep through the early with most people going up for seconds! Once the food had stages but when the rain finally stopped, he got his second been devoured we moved on to the much anticipated main wind and seemed to enjoy the latter stages. event; the Squadron boat race. The Troops had been hard at work all week crafting and designing some fantastic rafts and Both teams put in admirable performances, with the male tensions were high. All week scepticism had been circling, team completing the course in a little over 18 hours and with with cries of “that’s way too heavy!” or “the balance is all

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 33 81 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj M Arscott wrong, you’re going to capsize!” heard many times. The big SSM WO2 (SSM) Blatcher question was, however, would any of the rafts even float? 854 Troop Brunei Surge - by Cpl Mick Morrissey 1 Troop’s pirate ship called the “The Panty Liner” was first in the water, crewed by LCpl Scott Pretty and Sig ‘2 Dads’ Surge 1 team to Brunei consisted of a hybrid Regular/Reserve Donaldson-Crook. Having confidence in their boat paid off as deployment with soldiers from 81 Signal Squadron (R) and 241 it glided across the water. 2 Troop’s long boat, which looked Signal Squadron. The team, led by Cpl ‘Swanny’ Swan of 241 more like an old bed frame, was capsized by Cpl ‘Everyone Sig Sqn received a quick introduction into the niceties of the needs a Martin’ Connarty, who still protests that he was Geordie dialect and once on the ground, proceeded to quickly pushed. Lt ‘Sam the Man’ Hodgson however quickly rallied make in-roads into the Community Centre build. This the crew to right the not-so-long boat, in anticipation of the consisted of fibre optic and copper internal cabling, working race. 3 (London) Troop, led by Cpl ‘it’s how it looks, not how alongside the already present civilian element AKA The it sails’ McCarthy, tentatively placed their design Python Recovery Team. into the water, like a parent taking their child swimming for the first time. Despite the oppressive humidity and lack of air conditioning (which is now the ’norm’ for all jobs in Brunei), good progress was made. The hybrid team quickly found their feet during the day on the task and lost them just as quickly during the evening after a few “tiger towers”.

Their drive and determination was also apparent during the weekend activities/atrocities. During the week, Sig ‘Bomb Head ‘ Hosken (81) and Sig Chris Baildon (241) were training with the Garrison Rugby team and were asked, “What are you up to at the weekend?” by the coach. To which they replied, “Not sure yet, probably working”. He went on to explain, “Not anymore you’re not!”. And so they were duly selected to represent the garrison Rugby team, “The Flying Kukris” in a rugby 10’s competition.

Despite being a hard and fast format Sig Hosken finished top try scorer with 5 tries and Sig Baildon also got onto the scoresheet. The team were ably supported by Cpl Phil ‘Road Rage’ Winter and reached the semi final stage before a With Lt ‘Welsh Wonder’ Gammond in his own command dingy number of factors conspired against them, the key factor being towed by the Troop, the landing craft looked good, being the referee. until 4 of the Sqns biggest guys boarded and it was only going one way! SHQ’s cast-away looking raft was a result of SSM All in all a successful foundation was laid for the remainder of Martin Cope’s advice and Cpl Craige Hammond’s the tasking before the next 241/81 hybrid surge. determination. It was crewed by Capt ‘will that thing float’ Eldridge and Cpl Hammond and floated like a dream, but 857 Troop Adventure Training Weekend 25 -27 Sept 15 didn’t sail as well. Needless to say “The Panty Liner” romped – by Cpl D Anderson home to victory, with 2 Troop in second place and SHQ closely following in third. 3 (London) Troop were too busy bailing “I have an idea” she said; and so it began, 857 Troop weekend themselves out and being boarded by the Panty Liner crew, was born, with Cpl Julie West taking the lead. With a who, after finished the race, showed their engineering medieval theme, the 13th Century St Briavel’s Castle in The brilliance (or pure luck) by trying to capsize the less functional Forest of Dean was an ideal venue. boats. As the race came to a climax and the heavens opened, it was time for the raffle. SSgt Jez Skelhorn and his wife St Briavel’s Castle is over 800 years old, with bags of character monopolised the prize tables, being drawn four times and and remarkably well-preserved features throughout. You receiving a bombardment of heckles. LCpl 'Tez' Terry spent enter this remarkable and unique site through a triple £150 on a signed Chelsea FC shirt, which in some people’s eyes portcullis gatehouse into a secluded courtyard and walled is far too much, but with the money raised going to Help 4 garden, and then enter through the grand wooden period Heroes, was well worth it. In all, the Squadron raised £397. door into the West Tower to a warm welcome fit for a King or

34 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Queen. Where 857 Troop were to stay over the weekend is the most haunted part of the Castle, (we were later told). The dormitories are directly above the “Oubliette” (a dungeon, from the French word - oublier – to forget). The castle is the former hunting lodge of King John and we wondered who might have spent time in the debtors prison or met their grizzly end on the Castle gallows. The Castle is a Grade 1 listed ancient monument, a rich piece of our heritage and an inspiring location as we were transported back in time to the medieval world of King John and the Magna Carta. As the troops arrived Friday evening a brave decision was made. Not wanting to spend too much time in the most haunted part of the castle, we all agreed that going through the itinerary at the local public house (The George) was probably a better option. We were split into 3 teams: The Lost Boys (Cpl Anderson, Sig Batten and Sig Flannigan); The highest score of 67 with some of the arrows hitting centre Three Little Pigs (Sgt Willcock, Cpl Leighton and Sig gold. This led them to top spot, winning the archery Edmonds); and Ken Dodd and his Diddy men (Cpl ‘Nutty’ competition. This had proved to be harder than it looked and Almond, LCpl Wilf Williams and LCpl Holly). With prizes to be was the source of much laughter and a great build up to the had, the competition was on. medieval night ahead.

The evening meal was a medieval themed banquet. Everyone came prepared with an array of period costumes, consisting of Knights, Monks, Court Jesters, Kings and Queens. Best dressed of the night were WO2 Matt Bevan dressed as Blackadder and Capt Neville as Queenie. The queue to get a picture taken with them would have put Father Christmas to shame. The feast was not for the faint hearted, consisting mainly of meat, and eaten entirely without cutlery (King John didn’t have any after all). It was accompanied by an amusing and sometimes gruesome story-telling of the history of the Castle and the ghosts that frequent the halls and corridors. Our own jester, LCpl Wilf Williams, not wanting to miss out on his moment of fame, took to the stage entertaining the troops with a performance that had to be seen to be believed. Most of his jokes are older than the castle itself, and probably had the supernatural inhabitants groaning even louder. Just The DS, consisting of Capt Neville, WO2 Bevan, SSgt Coyle as well the stocks are no longer in use. After our feast the and Cpl West, were there to keep a watchful eye on us, and servants organised a game of Cluedo to round off an excellent to make sure the scoring was fair. After the obligatory evening’s entertainment. sharing of tales and experiences over the last few months, we had built up enough courage to retire back to the haunted Sunday morning arrived and we all sat waiting for the results West Tower. To say we had a quiet night would be a lie. We of yesterday’s competition. The Three Little Pigs had won it thought the castle had come under attack, as Sig Batten by a whisker, (or by a hair on their chinny chin chin!), although descended the steepest stairs in the castle, late at night to everyone agreed we were all winners for the great couple of visit the garderobe (toilet). His bruises were to prove that days we had just had. Cpl West had one last surprise up her things really do go bump in the night. sleeve… a mystery tour. We were bundled into the minibus and to our surprise taken to Littledean Jail. The infamous After an early start and breakfast we deployed by minibus to ‘CRIME THROUGH TIME MUSEUM’ is the only museum of its the Forest of Dean in the Wye Valley to test our MATT5 skills kind in the world open to the public. A place not for the faint with a Nav Ex. With compass issued and grid references hearted, full of interesting and bizarre memorabilia, from a plotted, everyone was eager to prove themselves. The teams Special Forces exhibition, to film and showbiz collections. were set off at 15 minute intervals to reach their checkpoints After an all too short stay at the Jail we returned to the castle where information was logged and selfies taken to prove they for our departure home. It had been a fantastic weekend, had been there. After many miles (only 6 actually, but more with everyone looking forward to the next one. Well done to for some!) of hills and beautiful scenery in the forest, Cpl West and thanks from everyone in 857 Tp. including a ferry crossing of the River Wye, everyone agreed the Forest was the winner. All teams were happy to see the sight of the minibus at the end and the team sheets were handed in for scoring before we moved back to the castle for our next phase. Arriving back at the castle we switched to Agincourt mode and moved onto the Archery competition. This will be easy, everyone thought, we know how to fire weapons after all! The instructor took us through our NSP’s, grouping and zeroing and a best of 3 rounds were to be contested by the teams. Arrows at the ready the teams took to the firing point. In the first round the Lost Boys gave a very impressive score of 54. Ken Dodd and his Diddy men reaching 47 and the Three Little Pigs huffing and puffing their way to a lowly 42. The DS were struggling to hit the target, with the safety net at the back taking most of the hits (the French have nothing to fear here). The Three Little Pigs seemed more settled after each round and eventually got the

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 35 14th SIGNAL REGIMENT (ELECTRONIC WARFARE)

CO Lt Col Stoter energy was noticeable throughout the group. People were RSM WO1 (RSM) Robinson irritable, most notably LCpl Colin McCabe and words like ‘dummy’ and ‘pram’ were thrown around. Shortly after 223 SIGNAL SQUADRON finishing the trek back we were introduced to Dave. Dave was a red deer who provided a perfect demonstration of how OC Maj Francis INT CORPS to get butchered and become tasty. All this was delivered by SSM WO2 (SSM) Wellstead the dazzling showmanship of Capt Cook. Dave provided so much meat that even 15 starving people and the DS couldn’t Exercise ALPHA BAYONET – by LCpl Adam Sullivan even get close to eating him all.

Midnight on a Saturday marked the start of Ex ALPHA After one night back on the hotel campsite we trekked out to BAYONET, a 223 Signal Squadron survival exercise on the Isle Glen Garrisdale, which was only 4 km according to YofS(EW) of Jura, one of the Inner Hebridean islands just off the west Campbell. It turned out to be a lot further and on terrain that coast of Scotland. only the Royal Signals would consider negotiating. The group covered miles and miles of hills, tick infested bog and more After a long drive and a couple of ferry trips we arrived on the baby heads than Brecon, excluding a group of 5 elite island and the Jura Hotel campsite. After some pub grub, 15 fisherman, including the overly keen LCpl Troy ‘Facetime’ of us settled down for the night in 3 9x9’s only to be woken Luxton, which took a detour to fish in a nearby loch - nearby at around 2 am by, what appeared to be, an aggressive being used loosely. The majority of the group reached the Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman. They were shouting destination and gathered winkles, nettles and LCpl Carl things like “get out ya tents” and “I seen you in there eating Williams even found an onion. Collecting firewood and and drinking”. This turned out to be one drunken civvie called finding a cave that would house the entire group, it was safe Ben just doing voices, which he quickly lost when 9 blokes in to say the group thrived. Especially when the fishing party boxer shorts emerged from two of the tents. The other tent returned with 23 fish, they even gave the DS 4 because we decided to stay inside, cowering behind LCpl Ash Whittaker didn’t want to see them go hungry. Even with all the food we and a hammer. had LCpl Iain Smith was disappointed at the lack of his personal favourite, limpets. The first day was the instruction phase. We stayed around the campsite where we were learned about essential survival equipment and the different climates and regions they could be useful in. Later we were shown the general concept of building improvised shelters and different methods of sourcing drinking water. After the learning phase we trekked for around 3 hours through the heart of Jura to the bay of Glen Batrick. It was here that we were given advice on fire making, what sources of food there were around the bay, how to cook them and, more importantly, how to scavenge/ catch them in the first place. The 15 of us got broken down into smaller teams and we gathered what we could from around the beach. Our haul included large amounts of limpets, seaweed, a rabbit, a couple of fish and a couple of birds. This was not a substantial amount after being divided up around the group. Cpl Alex Trevellyan resorted to eating a small bird’s heart…voluntarily. SSgt (YofS(EW)) Campbell conducts overwatch of the students from afar. In the distance is Glen Garrisdale The trek back to the drop off point the next morning was significantly harder the second time round, severe lack of The trek back was still horrendous, even considering how well fed we had been. On our return to the campsite we found out that the ferries were striking and this had delayed our departure by around a day. This meant we had a further 2 nights on the campsite; fortunately a pub was only yards away. The Jura hotel staff were tremendous and we were provided with darts, cards and even a poker set which we did not use to gamble for real money. We even had time to visit the Jura whiskey distillery.

Overall the exercise was a great success. It was very informative, whilst remaining enjoyable, and people came out of it thinking they had learned valuable skills which will help them survive should they be put in that situation. The Bear Grylls award goes to Cpl Alex Trevellyan who has been quoted describing the exercise as “aggressive camping”, although he was one of the ones to stay in the tent when Ben ‘Dave’ the Red Deer being prepared was causing mayhem.

36 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 going to win the Lanyard Trophy because their team was in a different category and we had 3 extra blokes. We near enough ran the last 2km with 18 Signal Regiment Vets team reaching the line just before us. It was a great battle but we had just won the Lanyard Trophy and the next team competing was over an hour behind us!

The survivors on Glen Garrisdale beach

226 SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj Watson SSM WO2 (SSM) O’Reilly

The Lanyard Trophy Competition – by LCpl Page The 2015 winners of the Lanyard Trophy After an arduous but enjoyable training package, which the majority of the blokes who made the team endured, everyone Everyone on the team worked hard and every man was proud was confident of winning; some more than others! The team of their victory. Shattered but still standing, the day was was headed up by the Adjt, Capt Elliot Jones, on the day, topped off by Cpl Parker projectile vomiting like a scene from however, the majority of the training and preparation was the Exorcist. It was an impressive sight to behold! After a covered off by WO2 SSM Harvey, (now WO1 at UOTC). night’s rest we were up early the next day to receive our individual trophies from the Corps Colonel. For some of the A disgusting 0330 reveille on 12 September 15 would be the blokes it marked the end of a month’s training; a lot of hard beginning of a very long and eventful day. The weather was graft and effort went in to winning the trophy. We now look horrendous and to the horror of the rest of the team I was forward to next year and bringing the trophy home for the the only bloke sporting Gortex. I’m not ashamed, it was a second year in a row. ghastly morning and there was the smell of treachery in the air. We lined up as best we could and then the mayhem 237 SIGNAL SQUADRON began; shouting, barging and general loud noises. Within minutes we were greeted with the first big climb, but we OC Maj Fogarty were strong and soon pushed our way to the front. By the SSM WO2 (SSM) Peake time we reached the top there was a trail of head torches beaming out of the darkness, scattered behind us. We Exercise DRAGON’S TALON – by LCpl York pushed on and with the first hill out of the way we re-grouped and stayed tight. With great navigating from SSM O’Conner On Sunday 13 September, 237 Signal Squadron deployed to we lost a lot of teams and began gaining ground. We moved Westdown Camp for the start of Ex DRAGONS TALON (DT). at a decent but steady pace. Morale came from YofS(EW) Ex DT is conducted annually by 14 Signal Regiment and is Gray who, whilst criticising the team’s enthusiasm and the designed to test our Electronic Warfare (EW) capability, as time it was taking to make perfect map reading decisions, well as our use of regular communications equipment. The decided to have a little rest on a frail fence post for it to then exercise is EW focussed, however it is conducted in a fully give way! Luckily the team were extremely concerned and tactical manner, therefore a number of military skills serials helped him to his feet immediately… are thrown in throughout to keep us on our toes!

I think every man on the team had their moments, people The exercise has a truly international feel with sensor baseline were getting tired. One minute you would feel weak then a groups from Holland, Denmark and France all working as part few miles down the road you would feel strong. The of the coalition force under the EWCC. Yorkshire Dales provided us with numerous hills and bogging ground; this was nearly too much for SSM Harvey who looked On Monday we went through the RSOI package and were in a world of hurt at one point. We knew we were in for a preparing our sensors and communications equipment ready chance of winning when we went through the checkpoints as to head out onto Salisbury Plain. We were conducting a RiP our quality admin team kept us up to date. Towards the end from 226 Signal Squadron and were told that the enemy were of the race niggles were becoming apparent; LCpl Beck’s back flexing their CBRN capability. We were then told the good was in a bad way from Bergen-rub. Around the 30 mile point news that we would be deploying out in CBRN dress state was the last big hill, and it was a beauty! Everyone seemed four, full suits carrying respirators. At least we would be tired at this point, except LCpl Cowen who is a tabbing warm! machine and a man of few words. When asked, “How are you feeling?” or the usual concerned questions would just nod his The Sensor Group Command (SGC), as well as several sensors head and say, “Fine.” moved out to their separate locations on the training area to set up their detachments and begin analysing the We arrived at the last checkpoint, with 18 Signal Regiment electromagnetic spectrum for enemy transmissions. Vets team just behind us. The race was on! We were still

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 37 The first night was eventful; two sensors and the SGC were 245 SIGNAL SQUADRON attacked, CS gas was used to simulate a chemical attack. We heard some amusing stories of that attack at a later date. OC Maj Hodges LCpl Davies (who was on sentry for the SGC at the time of the SSM WO2 (SSM) Craven attack) got a face full of CS spray. After raising the alarm he stumbled into the sleeps tent in an attempt to find his Exercise MOUFLON CHALLENGE – by LCpl Massen-Smith respirator. His troop OC, Lt Powell, was wearing his respirator by mistake after leaving his locked in the Land The Squadron arrived at Castlemartin for Ex MOUFLON’S Rover. Poor LCpl Davies was the first casualty of the CHALLENGE, a week long AT package. The aim of this campaign, unknowingly sacrificing himself for the great good package was to challenge Squadron personnel in four (or for his troop OC’s admin)! disciplines: sea kayaking, mountain biking, trekking and rock climbing. It was also an opportunity to identify individuals At the start of the week morale took a dive! The weather had who may wish to be considered for instructional courses in followed us from Brawdy, with torrential downpours for the the future. We introduced some of the newer members of first three days. The situation was very kinetic, with sensors the Squadron to the inclement Welsh weather whilst trekking in contacts regularly and moving around the area. As the part of the coastal path, kayaking up the Cleddau Estuary and week went on things started improving, the CBRN state was climbing on the precarious cliffs overlooking the sea. lowered, we were starting to collect more enemy transmissions and even got a couple of cuts. This in turn Luckily nobody was put off by day one’s monsoon in which helped us to understand the bigger picture of how the enemy there was a palpable sense of humour and waterproof failure was operating, where they were and also developing an as we were hit by the biggest raindrops ever experienced in electronic order of battle. the area – entire roads and paths became rivers. By day two the sun made a welcome appearance. Two memorable Before long it was Monday morning, we had gathered events were LCpl Massen-Smith and Cpl Deans confronting intelligence that the enemy was preparing for a large attack; their fear of heights, the latter having an impressive ability to we ‘stood to’ at 0600hrs and within five minutes our sensor cling to the wall for 30 minutes whilst uttering “I can’t come was contacted by an overwhelming enemy force. We were down” from 2 metres up the wall, and LCpl Lynham forced to withdraw and deny the detachment. After attempted to drown Whiskey Troop’s SSgt whilst playing a extracting to the ERV a few kilometres back, we were particularly violent game of kayak water . informed that air support had driven the enemy back. Due to the troops enjoying the week so much, next year’s The exercise was deemed a success and 237 Signal Squadron plan for CHALLENGE will incorporate the foundation level has proven that it is fit to progress into a year of readiness in courses in the above disciplines. support of the LATF and AI Bde throughout 2016. The final exercise brief involved feedback from DSTL on how many Exercise VAMBRACE HORIZON – by LCpl Wood enemy signals we had captured throughout the exercise. We were informed that we had performed better than any of the On 31 August 2015, 245 Signal Squadron deployed to the Isle previous regimental exercises! The FOX was victorious and of Wight in order to support the Honourable Artillery returned back to Brawdy! The Ops Officer, Capt McGrath, Company (HAC) on Ex VAMBRACE HORIZON, a surveillance showed the rest of the Squadron how we can operate out of exercise. Representation from the Squadron included two vehicles or ‘on the man’: LEWT teams, ZULU Troop OC Lt Tabor, as EWLO and SSgt YofS(EW) Forde.

On arrival in Southampton, the Troop OC and YofS(EW) were informed they would be travelling to the island on, what was essentially, a floating mattress (the Maxi Floats). Meanwhile the two LEWTs had 24 hours of exercise prep before being flown over via US Ospreys. We were left feeling unsure as to who had got the poorer deal!

The actual exercise phase itself was split into three 24 hour segments with exercising troops coming back into camp between each phase. The two LEWTs were split between two HAC Troops gathering lines of bearing to enhance the commander’s SA and deliver more accurate locations of each transmitter of interest. For the final 72 hours of the exercise, LCpl Wood deployed into an OP on hard routine with an ICOM and members of the HAC.

All in all it was an enjoyable exercise and a great opportunity to practise our trade. Working alongside the HAC, and other units, was different to the norm however we found it beneficial and hope to work with them again.

SUPPORT SQUADRON

OC Maj Wilford SSM WO2 (SSM) O’Connor

Farmers Market Community BBQ – by Sgt Loveridge

After a couple of meetings with the local council, a date was Capt McGrath demonstrating how to carry a dismounted sensor! set for Support Squadron’s Catering Department to deploy

38 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 into the heart of Haverfordwest. The task that had been given was to set up a full operational field kitchen, with the addition of a BBQ, and cook local food produce that the council staff had provided. Once the food was cooked it then had to be divided into a number of tasting pots and given out to the public for their feedback. Essentially the aim of the event was to enhance relationships with the local community and at the same time demonstrate the capability of the Regiment’s catering department – this would also prove to be a good recruiting opportunity.

We arrived on the day at 0730hrs, and started setting up the kitchen. Straight away this was catching the imagination of the public, a few of which mentioned to us that they were impressed with the speed in which the kitchen was built – obviously under the keen and watchful eyes of SSgt Davies and Sgt Loveridge. Once we were up and running the food was cooked and put in taster pots with the massing public flocking to get a taste of the end result. Instead of just cooking the basic BBQ type food there was a whole host of Team 1 showing their culinary skill! alternative dishes served such as a mixture of Curries, Stir Fry, Pancakes and various others. Both Pte Hlawndo and LCpl was anything we could do to assist. The only solution was for Mattox were kept busy walking around the town centre us to adapt the plan and extended our time slot to two one giving the tasters out, promoting the local market stalls and hour periods. Instead of using local produce and cooking one explaining to the public a little bit about the life as a military dish, we thought we would show off a bit by breaking down chef. All the feedback we received was of a positive light and into two teams and compete against each other to see which many of the public asked us to return as they felt our team could create the most amount of dishes from a ten man presence there was a highlight within the market. ration pack.

The day finally finished with us packing down the equipment Team 1 with Sgt Loveridge and LCpl Mattox were first off. at 1530hrs. It was a long but extremely enjoyable and The arena was full and our entertaining compère, SSgt Davies, rewarding event that resulted in the council representatives started the proceedings by introducing the team and wanting us to return in the following few weeks – it has since explaining to the audience about our menu choice, and how been agreed that we will now be supporting another two we planned to cook so many dishes out of one box. The time similar community events, which we are all looking forward slot seemed to go really quickly, with the audience constantly to. asking questions; which was a relief as it showed us that they were taking an interest! Team 1 had finished the first Ready, Steady, Cook at the County Show – by Sgt Loveridge demonstration to loud applause from the public; we had created 7 dishes out of one ration box within the hour. Once The County Show is Pembrokeshire’s largest and most the public had seen the dishes they were then given the prestigious agricultural annual event that attracts thousands opportunity to taste the end result. of visitors; therefore it was a privilege for the Squadron’s catering department to be given the opportunity to conduct a After a short break, it was the turn of Team 2 with Cpl Nuku live Ready, Steady, Cook show – especially in front of such a and Cpl Plant who introduced themselves and then explained large audience which included some very high profile guests. the dishes they were due to cook. Although this team worked hard and captivated the audience they were, Our initial brief was to cover two slots, in between a celebrity unfortunately, only able to produce 6 dishes, therefore lost chef who was covering the main event. However, when we the challenge. Overall the event was a huge success and arrived the local organiser was in a panic! At the last minute enhanced the relationship even further within the local the celebrity chef had called in sick, so we were asked if there community, and Pembrokeshire County Council.

16th SIGNAL REGIMENT STAFFORD

Exercise FLYING FALCON – Experimental Comms 7 Sep 15 – 23 packet commander; I had the pleasure of driving the 15 seater Sep 15 – by Cpl Cullen minibus… again. With Cpl Walmsley’s, ‘ahem’, calm demeanour we were set up ready to leave Stafford to West Still trying to recover after the unit move from Elmpt, Ex Down Camp, Wiltshire. FLYING FALCON was about to start. A full week of in barracks data prep (IDPB) had seen both Falcon and Bowman fully I think LCpl Richards really didn’t want to go that morning so tested. My system was OTES and LCpl Morley was sent to decided to reverse his Falcon wagon into the back of the pick the system up from Donnington, with a QM’s rep. As we brand new secure garages delaying him for 4 days until the know some things can be left behind when picking up from LAD deemed the vehicle safe. another unit, but a whole node?? Wow that is special. After all of LCpl Richards equipment had been cross loaded LCpl Searle and Cpl ‘Worm’ Walmsley were also part of the we eventually set off. A leisurely 3 hour journey brought us OTES Det and Cpl Walmsley was given the high honour of into West Down Camp, which made refreshing change for the

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 39 normal 12 – 14 hours it could take from Javelin Barracks, DPTA where we were met by Lt Mason and YofS Pagan. Lt Germany. Only 2 vehicles broke down on the way and were Mason came straight over to raise morale saying we could recovered to West Down by our LAD Recce Mechs, so all in all have a late start of 0730hrs, what was a lovely gesture to hear not too bad. at 0001hrs. The next morning went very well; the RSEs (‘POWER-GODS’) got power in in record time and still had So setting up OTES in the smallest room ever was a bit of a time to let the Reacher crew know the satellite was in the sky challenge, especially when told that General Dynamics and not the trees they were pointing at. The Falcon crew were BAE where setting up in the same room. That phrase sadly let down by ‘the other end’ but once we had everything ‘working on top of each other’ was never more true. Sig in we were waiting for our pat on the back for all our hard Holmes and LCpl Norton, ED’s, had trouble setting up; not work, however we were given another task; Op ELLIS, the that the fact that the power plan was too big, it took 2 days rugby world cup. for the hierarchy at West Down to deliberate on where the earth spikes for the genes could go. The build phase of the ex had begun. In no time the NER was up, comms were in and we had sourced a BFBS box for the The exercise itself was interesting. The intent was to test duration of the exercise. Although the tents we occupied for new technologies to compliment our core comms systems. sleeps had power (occasional at best) the infrastructure General Dynamics where showcasing 4G networking by using provided by 16SR was much more resilient and became a smart phones with a PTT app so you could communicate to an second home to us, some even spending their days off operator on Bowman. LCpl Wills with WO2 (FofS(IS)) Bielski hanging around the NER! The RLC and Infantry units we were were the front runners with this and were very successful; supporting provided their own power, but of course needed apart from the fact that a secure voice VHF signal was able to instruction from the Royal Signals on how to use the kit. We be broadcast over an insecure 4G network; more planning also watched a 12x12 build last over half an hour! Over the required I think. BAE were showcasing an early entry Falcon course of the next week once all of our links were proved (we system, with a 4G networking side with smart phones…… turned everything off and back on again a few times) it was wait a minute this sounds familiar. Both systems where very time to get into routine properly. Once in routine the Reacher successful with not too many glitches; LCpl Micheals and SSgt ECU decided to give up on life. The only solution was to (FofS) Chongbang integrated themselves perfectly with the comically run the NER ECU into the back of the det. BAE representatives, conducting extensive trails showing video calls through the Falcon network. The CSS Group cup was underway way. The first event was a cross-country run (clearly had Lt Mason’s name written all I worked with BAE in testing a wireless connectivity piece over it), the boss secured 1st place. However due to a fixing through their early entry Falcon and OTES functionality. The of events we came joint last with the RMPs, or in LCpl future is bright, the future is wireless HQ’s, can you imagine Duignan’s vocabulary ‘Bloody Monkeys’! The second event how much quicker this would make a build, oh by the way was a burden race; we were to carry two half full jerry cans, a sorry Telemechs. Cpl Walmsley and LCpl Searle kept OTES up tyre and a power bag around a 1.5 mile course. We set off to and running perfectly, leaving SSgt (FofS) Walton (from a promising start with YofS Pagan leading the way and setting ARMY HQ), and his team to put Bowman through its paces. the pace. First position was ours up to the half way point Full OTES functionality through a HCDR network was pretty with the REME hot on our tails. As we came up to the final amazing. The testing extended to a mobile Bowman call sign corner the REME PTI told us to stop to wait for our team, having a LYNC video conference using an OTES laptop jury getting our team confused with another Regiments. rigged into the secure data network. Unfortunately we came home 3rd in a time of 16:13, just 20 secs off 1st place, still, technically a podium. The next All in all a very successful testing exercise, with all vehicles important milestone of the exercise was the tear down and making it back to Stafford. I am looking forward to the future move to OTA. The tear down was as simple as any other, and of new communication equipment and procedures coming to morale was raised when we managed to get pizzas ordered the Corps. for that night’s rugby game. It was to be a demoralising loss to Wales, unless you’re LCpl ‘Taff’ Powell who rather enjoyed Exercise DRAGON – Poland Update – by LCpl Truebody, LCpl the Wales win. A 0700hrs start to check over the vehicles Duignan, Cpl Flanagan and Sig Hayes before we set off to OTA meant there were plenty of time for a quick smoke break, before setting off at 0800hrs. We On 7 Sept, myself, Sig Dorward and Sig Collard began the followed a police escort to the half way point. On arrival we adventurous quest across the North Sea to Poland for Ex were greeted by the not so friendly looking faces of the RLC, DRAGON. After all the military vehicles had been crammed they seem to always be unhappy. The next part of the onto the ferry we began our voyage from Marchwood port in journey resumed at 0200, with fresh looking faces all round Southampton up the English Channel. After two days of we followed the Polish police escort, who took us down some rocking over and back we arrived at a port in Germany where really dodgy looking roads and even to the wrong camp, the RLC off loaded some of the trucks, which gave us some nevertheless the mighty 16SR made it to OTA! time to get off to stretch our legs and steady our feet. From there we continued our quest to the North Sea where we had Look forward to the next edition of The Wire to see how the the marvellous views of oil rigs and wind farms (#breath rest of the exercise continues – and for more stories about taking). After we managed to pull ourselves together after LCpl Powell falling of a gym mat and how the English coped such exciting views we continued our stint on the ferry with the remainder of Op ELLIS… onward towards the Baltic Sea. We were lucky enough to have the experience of being able to see the bridge that Community Engagement Evening – 24 Oct 15 – by Sgt Mears connects Sweden and Denmark under water - quite a bit of artistic construction. On 12 Sept we finally reached our Since returning to Stafford, 16 Signal Regiment has been destination in Poland where we were greeted and welcomed allocated Stoke-on-Trent and the nearby town of Stone as its by our fellow Signallers. areas of responsibility for Community Engagement. On the evening of 24 Sep 15, the Army Community Engagement Team On 12 Sept the drivers and I left Drowso Promoskie Training was invited to give a presentation to the local community of Area (DPTA) on route to the ferry port to meet our four Stoke-On-Trent in the delightful setting of the Potteries young sailors and the trucks. After a long wait at the ferry Museum & Art Gallery. Hundreds of invites were sent out to a port listening to the stories of the boat people we set off to wide selection of personalities throughout the area. Some of

40 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 those that accepted the invitation included a UKIP MP, a former Mayor and local councillor of Stoke on Trent and the Police Commissioner.

The evening consisted of a meet and greet in the foyer with tea and coffee followed by a 45 minute presentation, which included a Question Time style interrogation question and answer session. Our Commanding Officer bravely stood up alongside the Army Community Engagement team’s Colonel in the bright gaze of the spotlight on stage for the wide range of questions that followed.

The CO and WO2 Pierce hone their skills on the walk around before the Open Day

16 Signal Regiment’s stand included a WASP detachment, a Regimental history and information tent, a small game and a pair of Bowman manpacks set up under a basher for children to practice their VP under cover. The day passed surprisingly quickly and there were a number of times when there was actually a queue to get into the back of the detachment where Sig Hammet was explaining what the kit could do. Cpl Poulter and Sig Orr had spent the previous week putting together the stand so were very well placed to talk about the Regiment’s history, the move back to Stafford and to help The 16 Sig Regt engagement team people with the radios. There were even a surprising number of former members of the Regiment who came over to share Rounding the evening up came the part that most of us had stories about Elmpt and Krefeld from the past and to chat been looking forward to, the cocktail party. Except that it about their time in the Corps. wasn’t a cocktail party. One or two of us had misread the Admin Instruction, and took the line asking for volunteers that read: “Must be comfortable in a cocktail party type environment”, and assumed that they would be partaking in that great old Army tradition of a bit of a knees up afterwards. Once the initial surprise of drinking soft drinks had been gotten over, the spread of food was much appreciated, and the guests were engaged and interested. After answering their questions and mingling, we cleared up and headed back to Stafford.

Capt Dunster enjoying the children’s game on the 16SR stand

The CO and AET Col on stage

MOD Stafford Open Day – 29 Aug 15 – by Lt Robins

On Saturday 29 Aug 15, MOD Stafford opened its gates to the Staffordshire public, people coming from far and wide to have a look inside the wire. The hotly anticipated event had been organised by 22 Signal Regiment and included stalls from the wider community such as the Staffordshire Mountain Rescue, a fun fair, Stafford Rugby Club, as well as a showing from the RAF and a stand from 16 Signal Regiment. Sig Orr interacts with the locals whilst others have a look around one of 16SR’s Falcon

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 41 In addition to this, many from the Regiment assisted the event by providing man power to cover parking, security and assistance to the visitors, and numerous families from the station came to have a look around the event. All in all a good day to get to know the community where the Regiment has just moved into and to see what the local area has to offer.

Exercise NIE, Texas – by Sig Fook

Beginning with a 5am wakeup call in the UK and finishing with sunny Texan blue skies and 40°C, Ex NIE was always going to be good!

The ongoing exercise focuses on developing UK and US armed forces interoperability, a UK Brigade operating with a US Division in an American Army base, Fort Bliss, Texas. 12 UK Armoured Infantry Bde, with separate UK deployments including 1 Scott’s Guards, operating with 1st US Armoured Dawn start for the Canyon Run Division along with the associated enablers. 16 Signal Regiment deployed with a version of MAGPIE to facilitate 12 worked on and configured to allow the image to be loaded, Armd Inf Bde on the exercise. and we eventually had enough laptops to begin.

The first week consisted of getting orientated with the The second week was capped off with a trip to El Paso for the enormous camp, getting the Node set up – at least when FofS traditional Labour Weekend celebrations. Egerton wasn’t trying to kill some of us by driving on the wrong side of the road! Other highlights from this week Through weeks 3 and 4 the workplace really started to take included a 6am canyon run with the American forces, and was shape. VTC has been set up, the laptops were connected to a great way to start off the exercise with some team bonding the domain, and we were almost ready to go! User accounts and international relations. were created and tested to ensure all users could access Outlook, JCHAT and SharePoint in order to communicate with By the second week most of us had become familiar with our each other and be able to work effectively and efficiently. By way around the large camp. We started the week off with this point we had integrated nicely with the Americans and what the Americans called PT – a steady jog for 2 miles even gave them a taste of proper British PT… singing songs and clapping. The beginning of the exercising phase was just around the When we arrived in Fort Bliss, the IP address range needed corner and we were nearly all set up and ready. changing to fit in with the US; we created a new domain for the node to sit on in order to communicate efficiently with Importantly, on 02 Oct, LCpl Bush and LCpl Bradfield received everyone on Ex NIE. We had issues with ICC not connecting their second stripe, congratulations to them! to the Alert Server, and found problems connecting to the COSI Server which took some work to fix and overcome, but The exercise continues as this is being written, but so far finally, after numerous emails and phone calls back to the UK we’ve had FofS Egerton driving on the wrong side of the we managed to get it working. However, our conclusion of road, Sig Shaw sleeping in the corridor, Lt Allan-McLean and a ICC is that SITAWARE is 10 times better than ICC in every couple of others taken for a drive in the back of a pick-up and single way. We had brought a number of laptops over with us Sig Hughes breaking his toe in style. Stand by for a report in that still required a windows image loading, these were the next edition of The Wire to see what happens next…

22nd SIGNAL REGIMENT STAFFORD

CO Lt Col A Fawcett and aimed to teach the students how to correctly take either RSM WO1 (RSM) R Gleave a run or a loaded march lesson up to a distance of 8 miles.

217 SIGNAL SQUADRON The course opened with a general overview of physical training, an introduction to correct stretching techniques and OC Maj KM Biggins an insight into the role of an ETL within a regiment. This was SSM WO2 (SSM) S Hopkins swiftly followed by numerous short lessons based around the principals required of a PTI or ETL in constructing, Endurance Training Leader Course - by LCpl Cooper co-ordinating and managing a lesson. These included all the necessary documents regarding health and safety that would This month, members from each Squadron of 22 Signal be required prior to a lesson, and a look at the muscular- Regiment, including Cpl ‘look at my business card’ , skeletal construction, how it is affected by exercise, and the were selected to take part in an ETL course in order to boost correct techniques used to warm-up and cool-down. The first the availability of qualified personnel to take generic PT day culminated in an afternoon where the class went outside sessions. Organised by the SSI and presented by himself and and took part in practical lessons demonstrating how to members of the 22 SR gym staff, the course was over 2 days effectively direct and position “markers” during a lesson in a

42 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 safe and efficient manner. The group then proceeded on a Day two of the battle camp was dedicated to practicing our steady state run around the local camp areas, taking turns skills and drills as a section. A section commander and 2IC putting into practice the day’s lessons. Needless to say the were appointed and we arranged ourselves into an order of group’s performance was exceptional, and with only minor battle. From there we went about practicing contacts from faults in the clarity of instruction, the day ended on a positive different directions in different formations. At first we simply note. practiced withdrawing from contact, putting into practice the previous day’s teachings. After we had practiced enough and Day two saw the completion of the health and safety lessons started to get better at communicating and working together and a written exam, in which we were to demonstrate what as a section, we moved onto casualty evacuation and we had learned so far. The course then made their way to the assaulting the enemy. At the start of the day we didn’t use gym where each member took turns taking a warm-up while any ammunition and carried out the manoeuvers in slow time, being assessed by the SSI and his staff. The highlight of the by the end of the day we were using blanks and moving at full day was Cpl ‘I’ll stand here and watch’ McGee, who tempo. After a few failed attempts, namely myself leading proceeded to give out instruction while planting himself firmly the re-org down a small detour the wrong way, our skills and to the spot. The warm-ups completed and the staff satisfied drills were getting very slick and the whole section worked that everyone had taken on-board the points necessary to well together. After one final assault on the enemy position conduct a safe and practical session, we went inside for a we called it for the day and our section DS were happy with cool-down, and to ensure everyone had correctly learned the our performance as a section. Due to a few injuries the techniques required after a session. sections were merged from 3 into 2. That meant re-adjusting the harbour area into a linear harbour, which gave us a little Aside from the practical test, the course was completed, each bit of extra training before the day finished. student moving on to their own individual assessment for the practical phase at an opportunity best suited to them. All in Wednesday was competition day, a series of patrol lanes all the course was both well-presented and well-constructed designed to test what we had been taught on the previous by the SSI and his staff and will hopefully lead to the two days. We set off around 0800 in battle order with 6 qualification of ETL’s who will become an asset to the Regt. checkpoints marked on a map, other than that we had no idea of what to expect. We received our first contact not before 222 SIGNAL SQUADRON long and our drills were put to the test. Everyone seemed to love the morning dew, especially LCpl Payne who seemed to OC Maj S Macpherson enjoy it a little too much from how soaked he looked. Our SSM WO2 (SSM) J Roberts section attack was well done and our section DS didn’t have much criticism to give. This was a big motivator for our Exercise RANGER HOPTON 2 - by Sig Cannings section and once we re-org'd we set off back on our route. Our second contact also went well and we had to withdraw On Monday 28 September 222 Squadron deployed to from the contact. After good use of a grenade and peeling Swynnerton Training Camp for Ex RANGER HOPTON 2. The into hard cover, we bounded back to the road and set off for aim of the exercise was to increase our field craft knowledge our last few checkpoints. On our final contact we had a and basic close combat skills as an individual and in a team. casualty and although we evacuated the casualty quickly with The exercise also provided a good opportunity to complete the aid of smoke and a quick peel right, the rest of the MATTs 1 to 5. contact didn’t go to plan and there was some confusion amongst the section. Myself, Cpl Howard, Sig Green and Pte The pace of Ex RANGER HOPTON was set slow enough to Gautland decided to re-engage the enemy a second time by allow everyone to get the most training value from the peeling the wrong way. After re-arranging ourselves we content. This meant that we were able to go through each managed to bound back and peel right to join the rest of our individual stage of each manoeuver, which gave us the chance section. After the patrol had finished we conducted a BCCS to fully understand what was expected of us. theory test and relocated back to Swynnerton Camp.

On Monday we deployed to Swynnerton Training Camp. On After a good nights sleep we spent the final day conducting arrival we were given a series of demonstrations of basic the last of our MATTS. First thing in the morning we did a close combat skills. These lessons started with a simple PFA, just what everyone wanted after our BCCS competition, reaction to effective enemy fire and later progressed into so much that everyone decided to take longer on the runs to more complex tasks such as peeling, fire and manoeuver, appreciate it more. Everyone passed though. Afterwards we break points, obstacle crossings and assaulting the enemy split into groups and did our MATT 1 and BLS tests. Once our position. Not part of the curriculum, but still a vital skill, was MATTs were completed we got changed into civvies and took an impromptu lesson in the importance of knowing your a few moments to relax before our Squadron BBQ. After the surroundings, taught by Sgt Turner as he ungraciously tripped BBQ we had a Squadron Quiz and a few drinks and everyone and creamed in on the re-org. The lessons also covered patrol seemed to enjoy the night. We also celebrated the formations and how to effectively create a baseline from each promotions of 4 Signallers to Lance . This included a formation. drinking circuit that they all seemed to very much enjoy.

After a morning filled with lessons we had lunch, completed On Friday morning we recovered back to camp, cleaned our our MATT 5 training and got broken down into 3 sections. weapons and headed back home for the weekend. Each section then met with their section DS, ours was SSgt ‘Chappy’ Chapman, and practiced a few of the days 248 GURKHA SIGNAL SQUADRON manoeuvers as a section. After an hour or so of practice, the sections joined together again for a final lesson of the day on OC Maj S Smith occupying a habour area. On completion of the lesson, it was SSM WO2 (SSM) L Rana time to move to our potential harbour location, not before setting up a snap ambush. After laying in long, wet grass for 22 Signal Regiment March and Shoot Competition 2015 what seemed like forever and being bitten by every bug on - by Sig Arjun my ‘entomology for dummies’ sheet, we moved in to set up our harbour area and prepare for the last activity of the day, On 28 August 2015, 22 Signal Regiment came together for the which was a night navigation test. first time since block leave, for a day of competition between

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 43 the Sqns of the Regt. All the Sqns lined up with their best With 248 SQN teams C and D placing in 4th and 5th, 248 GSS teams with strong enthusiasm to win the March and Shoot put a very clear mark on the event. Medals were awarded to competition. the top three teams and 248 GSS with pride claimed the trophy for overall winner of the CO’s Cup March and Shoot There were 19 teams from the Regiment participating in the Competition 2015. event. It started with a brief from Sgt Kishan and his team, after which all teams moved to the race start. The To summarize, it was a very competitive and successful event. competition included 3 miles of best effort march followed by It was a very professional and fruitful competition organized a 25-meter range with 10 rounds to fire at a figure 11 target, by Sgt Kishan and his team. I believe all of the participants with points being awarded for hitting the centre scoring rings. had great fun and were proud to represent their respective Sqns in the Regt.

Lanyard Trophy 2015 - by LCpl Gyanendra Rai

On 11 September 2015, 11 personnel from 248 Gurkha Signal Squadron embarked on the daunting task to compete in the Lanyard Trophy 2015 which this year was held in the Yorkshire Dales. Knowing the harshness of the competition, the build up phase of the training programme organised by Sgt Milan ‘2 more miles’ Rai was essentially important.

The first week of the training programme was held in Cannock Chase and consisted of tabbing through over 20 miles of arduous terrain in one day and over 50 miles over a period of 3 days. This also involved vigorous tabbing up steep hills for at least 10 miles. There was free running after and stretches to loosen our stiffed muscles. The second week of the Team B powering through training package was held in Brecon. The weather was harsh as we braved through over 40 miles of Brecon hills in 2 days. Throughout the progress of our training there, we managed The first team was released at 0900hrs followed by the other to take on the Black Mountains, Pen Y Fan and the Brecon teams every 10 minutes. There were 4 teams representing Beacons. Although we had 11 members in the team and there 248 GSS. Each individual in our team was motivated and we was only vacancy for 8, the second training week was used as pulled together throughout the tough competition. With SSgt Kiran’s leadership driving us on, we put in every last drop of effort and we completed the 3 mile marching course in a competitive time. But the main points earner for us was the shooting. Having more than half of us in our group from the Regimental shooting team, it was no surprise that we got the highest score. We left the range feeling confident that we had performed well and looking forward to the final results being revealed.

All the teams having completed the course, the competition ended around 1130hrs. All the people were feeling tired but yet energetic to find out the final score. The Regt assembled in Gym 2 and without delay and the final result was announced. We were very pleased to see that all of the Sqn’s teams had performed strongly and there were only marginal difference in points between us. The top 3 teams were:

1st - 248 SQN, Team B led by SSgt Kiran 2nd - 248 SQN, Team A led by Lt Clarke 3rd - 217 SQN, Team A led by Sgt Waters LCpl Gyanendra and Sig Suraj enjoying the moment

248 GSS greets its new OC in style

44 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 a test to filter the best 8 for the competition. However, checkpoints. The last checkpoint was just 2 (country) miles everyone strived on and kept up with the unrelenting training from the finish but tabbing through the last bit of the race programme. Given the determination of the team, we seemed like forever. Starting with 11 members, we crossed requested to put forward a team of 11 and the organising the finishing line with all 11 members together which was a committee agreed. great source of pride for the team.

Competition day arrived and we took up accommodation in We finished 4th in the regular male category and came 6th the field conditions catered for by 216 Signal Squadron. We overall. We were all very proud of our achievements despite moved to the start point a day before as the race was the setbacks during the race. One thing for sure was that scheduled to kick off at 0500hrs. Getting our heads down every member in the team had a vital role in pushing the team early, harsh weather followed throughout the night, rattling to the finish line and I believe everybody played their part well and shaking our tents. Sleep was scarce. Breakfast was in finishing the competition in under 14 hours and 40 minutes. served at 0300hrs and not before long there was a massive Shyabas 248GSS and Jai QGS! crowd on the starting point due to the mass start. It was still dark and head torches had to be used. The race kicked off QGS Birthday - by Cpl Raj and the adrenalin rush began. Trying to break away from the cluster, we shuffled a good distance in the dark until we On 19 September the entirety of Queens Gurkha Signals reached the foot of the hill which was the first of many to closed into Bramcote for the QGS Birthday celebration. We come. The drizzle hadn’t stopped since it began and our arrived at Bramcote and after some time to meet old friends boots and trousers were already drenched in mud and water and numberies, we formed up and marched to the parade in the first tiny bit of the race. square for the parade. The QG SIGNALS Pipes and Drums treated us to a display and the QG Signals birthday speech We crossed through ruthless terrain and braved through the was read. After the cutting of the cake, the parade marched weather for many hours and miles. After we crossed the 28 off and fell into lunch. mile point, it came down to mental and physical endurance. We were all drained and every muscle group in our bodies After a delicious lunch, the next phase of the day began – the cried, with even Lt Nick Clarke being seen to break into a Tug of War! We were not feeling confident as we had not sweat (which he vigorously denies), but we knew from the trained together at all and several of the team had never even start what this race meant. It was to test our limits and tugged before, but with SSgt Kiran and Lt Clarke weighing endurance skills. Although our unlucky manoeuvre to take a down the back and the experience of Cpl Raj driving the longer route to try covering distance with speed down the centre we were certainly one of the strongest teams, if not track backfired on us with lots of teams overtaking us, the most well drilled. throwing us back into 14th position, the team strived on with sheer determination and caught up with the teams in front. It Our strength paid off in the first bout, but in the second was painful for each of us during different legs of the race but match we were unable to hold our own against the much we held on strongly together as a team and kept on pushing more professionally drilled team from 250 GSS. This obviously each other. Undoubtedly crucial to our continued morale was wasn’t good enough, so between matches we set about the support we received from Cpl Krishna and his team. working out our drills and went into the next two matches Eventually we crossed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks in the last 3 with aggression, winning quick victories and earning a place in the final, where we came up against… 250 GSS. This time we were ready and our strength coupled with our newfound experience was enough to see them off in a hard-fought contest that by the grace of the Gods ultimately resulted in a victory for the Stafford based Gurkha community. We were fortunate to have such tenacious opponents to test ourselves against and were delighted to have come away victorious and most importantly, clutching the pig.

Greetings and Farewells

After a wonderful 2 years, 248 GSS is sad to bid farewell to Maj Simon Smith who leaves us to take up a new post at 30SR. In his stead, we are proud to welcome Maj Ben Price, who has already distinguished himself with his knowledge of Nepali bhasa.

252 (HONG KONG) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj A Arthurton SSM WO2 (SSM) S Middleton

Regimental Hockey - by Sig Holt and Sig Lowther

This year 22SR raised their first team in 5 years. Well prepared with a grand total of zero training sessions we set off on 9 Sept for our first tournament of the season.

The team had to learn fast on the pitch with some guidance from Capt Swatridge, Sig Ezzard and Sig Holt who were the only three players with any recent experience. Sgt Rimmer and Cpl McIntyre offered some experience to the game but had not touched a stick for the best part of a decade. WO2 Laxman showing Cpl Bhesh what he’s missing out on However, despite the overwhelming enthusiasm we brought

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 45 our team left the first tournament without a single victory, would be the order of the day. After a lot of bean counting although notably was commended by the umpires as the we decided we could afford some inflatable entertainment. A most determined and massively improved team of the local company provided us with a bouncy castle, inflatable contest. twister and a gladiator duel. We also roped in the local Army Outreach Team, who provided us with an inflatable assault Not one to be beaten easily the team regrouped the next course. At this point we decided we would source the food week and returned for the Signals Cup. Now with a brief bit ourselves and we received a very fair price from a local of match experience on our side, 22SR’s Hockey team were a butcher, to add to this an ice cream van was booked and the force to be reckoned with, despite Sig Lowther’s best efforts planning was complete. to score an own goal. Picking up a number of goals and fighting competitively up to 4th place on the first day. Finally the week of the function arrived. The MT compound was cleared and the colossal job of setting up all the tents With the first day of matches over the team retired to nurse began. A team from the LAD with help from the Gymnasium their aching bodies and for a hard earned Nandos and a spent the day making the MT compound ready, and by the couple of pints. With the intention of spiking the opposition’s day of the event the MT compound was a sight to behold. drinks things went sour when the attention turned to Sig After the arrival of six trolley loads of beer and cider from the Ezzard’s pint after returning from the lavatory to find his drink local Asda, we were ready to begin. full of chilli sauce. 22 July began like any other British summer day…..it rained. The team awoke early the next morning feeling considerably But as the 1500 start time approached the clouds receded and worse than we had the first morning and this wasn’t even due it stopped raining… the sun didn’t appear, but the rain to the beer! The next day was the tournament stopped. The Squadron OC, Maj Politt took this opportunity meaning some members of the team had to be given a quick to address the Squadron and their families for the first time refresh on the changes to the rules. since his arrival, and then the drink and food began to flow. Musical entertainment was provided by LCpl Tom ‘The MOD’ Soon enough the tournament was underway and our team Power, but he had to be removed early on due to a poor taste was up 1-0 in their first game when a short corner was given in music. The inflatable entertainment was enjoyed by all, against us. Shooting off the line to defend the goal Sig Holt especially by the younger members of the Squadron. The received a hit to his foot and was out for the remainder of the food cooked by the Regimental Chefs was of the highest tournament receiving plenty of sympathy from the team. standard and was enjoyed by everyone. All in all the function Quotes like “Have you considered a career in acting?” and “I was a complete success, and I believe everyone left having thought it was only footballers who dived?” are among the had a good time. kind of words of comfort given. The team continued on with Sig Mardon utilising the ability to bounce balls off the side- I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank a line in many of his attacking runs. 22SR drew in 3 more games number of people. SSgt Boswell for helping us in our pursuit and narrowly missing out on coming 3rd in the tournament by of cold beer, SSgt McMullen for the use of his muscle, The being beaten by 30SR, a team with a disturbing amount of Army Outreach Team for providing and setting up the Corps players on board. However, the team was happy with inflatable assault course and finally the whole of the LAD for their 4th place. digging in and getting the setup and close down done.

However the whole team had a great time playing hockey Until next year, au revoir! through the 3 tournaments and returned to unit keen to play in the upcoming matches. Exercise ARMY SUSTAINER - by Sgt Michael J Smith

SUPPORT SQUADRON On 18 Jul 15, Regimental Catering Department entered a team in to Ex ARMY SUSTAINER held at Prince William of OC Maj N Pollitt Gloucester Barracks, Grantham. Ex ARMY SUSTAINER was SSM WO2 (SSM) M Witham originally a Reservist field catering and culinary arts competition, now open up to the Field Army. The Support Squadron Summer BBQ 2015 - by Sgt Ash Wheeler competition is divided into different categories, consisting of improvised catering, Open Field Team Challenge (OFTC), a “In 2013 a crack BBQ-ing unit was sent to Germany on a posting celebration cake competition, chocolate work and individual they didn’t ask for. These men promptly escaped from a live cook categories. We entered a team consisting of myself, maximum security stockade to the Stafford underground. Cpl ‘just about to do it’ Goode and Pte Zaque Edwards in to Today, still wanted by APC Glasgow they survive as BBQers of the OFTC which was based on a scenario of feeding a section fortune. If you have a BBQ requirement, if no one else can help, of 20 personnel in an operational environment on the and if you can find them….maybe you can hire the REME BBQ Operational Field Catering System (OFCS). Teams were to TEAM.” prepare, cook and present a 2 course meal consisting of two main dishes, appropriate potatoes and vegetables and 2 Back in March, I and Sgt Troy Binding were tasked with sweet choices, one being hot and the other cold, using 10 organising what has to be the highlight of the Squadron year, man ORP with a small supplement of fresh rations. the Support Squadron Summer BBQ. The function provides an opportunity for the members of the Squadron and their One day before Ex ARMY SUSTAINER the Catering families to get together, which due to Regimental Department returned from Ex JAVELIN POINT which was a 4 commitments may be the last time opportunity until week exercise testing 22 Signal Regiments CIS capabilities Christmas. After a brief was given we set about imagining the prior to deploying on Ex ARRCADE FUSION. Luckily enough best summer function that 22 Signal Regiment had ever seen. for us, 10 man ORP was used throughout Ex JAVELIN POINT The date was set for 22 July, the game was on. so although we didn’t know which ORP Menu we were getting on the day, we had plenty of time to practice with the Early in the planning stage we spent a lot of time scouting rations we knew we had. I knew I was going to do a fresh local bands and even a magician for the kids, but as the true pasta dish with the flour and the Alegra and Cpl Goode had to limits of the funding became apparent and after some quotes work out which sweets he was doing. We started practicing for food provision, we realised that an iPad loaded with music and all went well.

46 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 1130hrs and we were on time. Coming up to service things were getting a little heated and there was a lot of moving parts happening at once but we managed to get our meal up with seconds to spare. As soon as the food was up the judging commenced. Due to a lot of moving parts and the judges coming straight through we had no time to fill out our food temperature records which was picked up almost instantly, but we knew our food was good and hoped it would carry us through. Maj Pollitt scouted the competition and came back with intel of the other competitors dishes. We were looking good.

After the judging and a lot good feed back from spectators and celebrity chefs sprits were high. We had to be up there. Unfortunately I had to dash back to Stafford, as it was my Summer Ball that night (which was a great night I might add). I informed Cpl Goode to keep me posted. At 1700hrs Cpl Goode rang me in pure disgust and informed me of our placement. We came 6th! This was very upsetting news and I Pretending to know what we’re doing don’t know how it happened. Judging from the feedback with teams knocking out pizzas and compo pasta bakes we Due to Ex ARMY SUSTAINER starting early on 18 Jul 15, teams should have been placed 3rd at least, but I am not at all bitter had to set there equipment up the day before. We arrived at and twisted regarding the results. location at 1600hrs, received a brief and started to set up our site. Our location and equipment was set and we were ready for the competition. That night, chefs being chefs, we went out and had a little pre social, which from what I know now isn’t advised. The morning of the competition the team, a little the worse for wear, had the competitors brief, received our rations and started to develop a menu. The menu was as follows:

Ravioli stuffed with a chicken farce Sitting on a bed of tagliatelle Accompanied with a vegetable sauce

Beef Roulade wrapped in Savoy cabbage accompanied with a tomato sauce

o0o0o0o

Boulangerie Potatoes The Team Duchess Potatoes

o0o0o0o Looking back now and getting over ourselves, we had a great time competing, seeing old friends and more importantly Medley of Vegetables representing the Regiment. I would like to thank Maj Pollitt Saute Cabbage for taking the time to come down and support us and also to Jus-lie my team “great effort boys”. Remember work hard, play hard! o0o0o0o Sp Sqn Farewell and Welcomes Fresh Chocolate and mint ice-cream with a raspberry coulis and honeycomb Sp Sqn would like to wish WO2 (SSM) Matt Witham farewell and all the best to him, his wife Natasha and his daughters Fresh Brioche with a jam centre and sauce anglaise Maegan and Lauren. He is moving to pastures new and assumed the appointment of RSM 30 Signal Regiment on 5 October 2015. With our menu sorted we started to prepare; I was looking after the mains, Cpl Goode was looking after the sweets and Sp Sqn would also like to welcome WO2 (SSM) Col Steers and Pte Edwards the potatoes and vegetables. I had practiced my his family. WO2 Steers arrived from 16 Sig Regiment to take pasta dough a thousand times and every one went as over the role of SSM Support Squadron on 28 September planned; on the day it didn’t, it was too dry. I remade the 2015. pasta again and started to put it through the machine, all was going well. At this point the Officer Commanding Support We would like to wish Sgt Mick May and his family farewell Squadron, Maj N Pollitt kindly came down from Stafford and and all the best for the future. Sgt May leaves the Army after gave his support which was well received. Our deadline was 22 years Colour Service, all the best Mick.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 47 30th SIGNAL REGIMENT BRAMCOTE

Departing He took us to London, starting with the viewing of the changing of the guard; something that was clearly close to CO Lt Col NM Stokoe OBE the WO2 (SSM) Seymour’s heart. We then moved round to RSM WO1 (RSM) K Dade the front of Buckingham Palace to witness a magnificent display of drill… a single tear of pride was seen rolling down Arriving the SSM’s cheek.

CO Lt Col M Fayers All in all it was a much needed day out and a chance for all of RSM WO1 (RSM) M Witham us to learn something new about each other. Notably Cpl Attwood’s inability to keep his hands out of his pockets in Against the backdrop of the routine trickle posting system front of the London District Sergeant Major; previously the there are always assignments that stand out. Such two are Academy Sergeant Major at Sandhurst during the SSM’s time the CO and RSM. At the time of publication, the new RSM will there, making it all the more uncomfortable. have been in post for 2 months and the CO will be imminently departing. After lunch we made our way to HMS for the second activity of the day. The history and story of the ship is Lt Col Niall Stokoe and WO1 (RSM) Kev Dade have worked superbly demonstrated and well worth a visit. seamlessly together, leading 30 Signal Regiment with passion and unshakable dedication, they will be sorely missed. WO1 (RSM) Dade leaves the service at the end of his Regular career, to embark on a new journey with 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment and Lt Col Stokoe departs on promotion back to the ever challenging world of staff.

The Regiment thank them both for their service and wish them the very best of luck in the future.

244 SIGNAL SQUADRON (AIR SUPPORT)

OC Maj K Simmons SSM WO2 (SSM) Seymour

244 Sig Sqn (AS) Development Day – by Cpl Clarke On board

A bright and early start on a Monday morning for the OC, SSM After the day’s event we took a tour of London, taking in the and Corporals of 244 Sig Sqn (AS), for some much needed big tourist sights, such as 10 Downing Street, The Cenotaph, development. Horse Guards, Westminster and Trafalgar Square. There was then an opportunity to relax and have a few drinks. Despite Each Cpl in the Sqn was given the opportunity to submit a the London prices, even Maj Simmons put his hands in his ‘one pager’ outlining a ‘day out’ of their choice. Once all had pockets and at one point I am sure we saw moths leaving his been submitted, the SSM chose which he deemed the most wallet. worthwhile, with the winning Cpl having the opportunity to plan and execute their idea; on this occasion Cpl Mechan was All in all this was a very enjoyable and educational day with the lucky man. some very good opportunities to interact in a social environment.

Rugby World Cup (RWC) Flag Bearers – by Cpl Neil Mackie

30 Signal Regiment had the immense pleasure of flag bearing for the Rugby World Cup game between Australia and Uruguay on Sunday 27 Sep 15 at Villa Park (). There were 9 volunteers from the Regiment along with 2 from 22 Signal Regiment and 5 from 252 Signal Squadron.

We arrived at Villa Park bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and eager to go. We were shown to our two boxes to dump our bags. We finally got permission to conduct our one and only rehearsal at the ground. All went well, with all the nods and turning occurring at the right time. It wasn’t until we finished our trial run that we were told to ‘not walk on the light green grass; it’s the way it’s been rolled’, hopefully the 30 rugby players that were soon to take to the field would take care to follow the same instructions.

Group photo on Horseguards Parade Ground As we walked out of the dull tunnel into the sun and deafening noise of the crowd, with eyes front and necks in

48 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 the back of the collar, the SSM would have been proud, all me and several of the other crew. Over the following days eyes started to focus on us and the noise lessened. A round while passing through the Bay of Biscay, the weather took a of applause started, getting louder and louder, it wasn’t until turn for the worse which did not aid the sea sickness felt by we turned right to walk along the pitch that we noticed the the majority of the crew. I know I can speak for a few of the teams had appeared at the same time…we still felt at least other people when I say that I’ve never been happier to see half the applause was for us. We got to our positions, Cpl Neil dry land. Mackie shouting in his loudest drill voice for everyone to turn. The flag went from rolled up, to out flat and finally angled On our arrival in Spain we set about cleaning the boat and quicker than Dafydd Howell could score a try! Anthems over, then headed into town for some much needed R&R. This was we rolled the flag back up and quickly marched off the pitch the beginning of a pattern which would follow onto our 4 (probably on the wrong side of the light green grass) and our remaining stops in Cascais, Vilamoura, Rubicon and Puerto duties were over. Calero. When we arrived at our final destination we spent our first full day conducting a quick turn around of the boat All in all it was a great experience to be the flag bearers for followed by 2 days rest. The final day was taken up with this years’ Rugby World Cup. It’s not everyday you get this ensuring that the boat was in good order for the HO/TO to kind of opportunity. The game ended with Australia the crew conducting the 2nd leg of Ex TRANSGLOBE. hammering Uruguay 65 points to 3.

The Flag Bearers pre-match The Spray Exercise TRANSGLOBE – by Sig Flynn During the first 3 days of the trip, with the sea sickness in full Sig Galloway and I departed Gamecock Barracks for Gosport effect, I had the occasional thought of “why did I sign up for in late July to take part in Ex TRANSGLOBE; a Tri-Service this”. However, once we got into the swing of things, I Adventurous Training Sailing Exercise which deployed two started to enjoy learning the variety of skills needed to sail a Challenge 72ft yachts on a 13 month circumnavigation of the yacht on the ocean. An added bonus was gaining our globe. Competent Crew qualifications. Overall, I’ve come away from the exercise with positive memories and the intention of Our first 4 days at the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training undertaking more sailing in the future. Centre were spent doing preparatory work such as shopping for 3 weeks worth of food and learning basic sailing skills. On 250 GURKHA SIGNAL SQUADRON the morning of 25 Jul 15, following a brief naming ceremony for both of the yachts, we set sail for Baiona, Spain. OC Maj TJC Walton SSM WO2 (SSM) I Thapa Although the weather was pleasant and the waters calm upon leaving Gosport, the unfamiliar motion of the boat moving The 250 Gurkha Sig Sqn role is to provide mission configurable through the water had a somewhat discomforting effect on ICS support to the Air Assault Task Force (AATF), Vanguard Field Hospital (VFH) and subordinate multinational formations assigned to HQ ARRC when deployed as an NRF, HRF(L) or NFS JTFHQ in order to support programmed and contingent national, coalition and NATO exercises and operations.

The Sqn deployed as part of a wider BG deployment on Ex TRAILWALKER providing the planning lead and C2 for the special G200 edition, as well as infrastructure and manpower for Checkpoint 9, Water Point 2 and the Finish Point. With a little recovery time over the Summer, the Sqn has taken on a significant portion of the Regt’s Op TEMPERER contribution, with manpower stood up to move at a moment’s notice. The Sqn also continues to provide manpower to Op BACKWELL and SBMA, Tampa and the Sqn is now shaping up to support the AATF, VFH and JFHQ in significant exercises before the year is out.

X Tp is supporting 16 AA Bde on Ex AMARANTE over the The Discoverer Crew period 22 Sep – 9 Oct 15. W Tp is supporting Ex JORVIK LOOK

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 49 over the period 5 Oct – 1 Nov 15. Finally, throughout Nov 15, V rock edges were sharp and simple mistakes could lead to fatal Tp will be deploying to St Mawgan in support of JFHQ, injuries making it paramount to follow the safety orders of providing EXCON to Ex JOINT HORIZON from 15 – 18 Oct and the instructors. The feeling of hesitation before the jump, the 23 Nov – 6 Dec 15. time in the air where you feel like you are levitating while gravity works hard to pull you down as hard as possible and Exercise PLATINUM VICTOR DRAGON – by LCpl Nimesh Lama all your adrenalin rushing at the same time is what made that activity particularly special. The highest we jumped from was On 30 August 2015, 25 Members from 250 Gurkha Signal 40ft and not all of us were able to do it. This activity was the Squadron descended upon Capel Curig, a region in Wales best so far and we will look forward to do it again in the situated in the heart of Snowdonia, for adventurous training future. In the evening we gathered again for dinner. Since it organised by Cpl Prakash Gurung where the weather was was our last night in Capel Curig, dinner was specially bleak and filled with rain. Cpl Prakash Gurung himself was prepared and added more variety to it. To add to this, Sgt the Expedition Leader. The aim of the adventure training was Kumar’s soothing voice and Cpl Tshering’s melodious to take a week break from the Squadron’s busy working strumming of guitar took that night to a different level. environment. Sometimes a quick get-away is just what we need to soak up some rays, recharge our batteries and Under Cpl Prakash’s command, recovering back to Gamecock reconnect with work. Everyday was filled with an activity. In Barracks went as smooth as butter. I never thought order to take part in this effectively we parted into 3 groups. adventure training could be so much fun and relaxing. As Each group took part in one activity a day, I was in group one. military individuals we always think of sweat and hardship when we hear about Wales. In this one week I did things I Day 1: Monday 31 August, after having breakfast we got had never done before and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This week issued with all the equipment needed to partake in the of retreat has helped us to focus on our creative ideas, feeling activities ahead. Sig Bishwadeep was the mountain biking more engaged getting back to work and giving us a new leader for our group, he briefed us about the route, breaks appreciation for what we do and why we do it. I firmly and the distance we were going to cover. Starting from believe it is not the place but the environment each and every Betws y Coed, we rode along the block flat terrain but soon single one of us creates what makes the work or the training enough had to undertake a 1.5km challenging uphill ride. The more worthwhile. Thanks to Cpl Prakash for his dedication route itself was mixed with uphill and downhill trails, most of and planning that’s made the AT a possibility. which was uphill making it a red route and giving it its name, Marine trail. After 4 hours cycling and covering 40km we Exercise EAGLES AMARANTE - by LCpl Tshering Tamang stopped by a pub in Betws y Coed where we treated ourselves to food and drink. The hike itself was very In 2010, a Defence Co-operation Treaty between two exhausting and we had to push ourselves through while countries, Britain and France was announced. The main enjoying views of the mountain and plains. After completing purpose of this treaty was to develop the mutual co-operation the hike that evening everyone gathered at camp for social between the armed forces of these two nations for future time. joint operations. Since then, several collaborated exercises have taken place both in UK and France to increase the Day 2: Tuesday 1 September was our day for rock climbing. interoperability between these two nations. The weather made it unsafe to take part in outdoor climbing so Cpl Prakash booked an indoor venue in Anglesey. Cpl Ex EAGLES AMARANTE was a two week exercise that started Prakash showed us many techniques on how to climb on 27 September at RAF Airfield and ended on 7 effortlessly which was really useful. We started at a small October in Stanford Training Area, Norfolk. The main aim of height and gradually increased it. I was so drawn into it and this exercise was to develop and improve the bond between wanted to do it all day long but we had to finish the activity 16 Air Assault Bde and 11e Brigade Parachutiste (French by afternoon and get on with shopping for dinner that night. Parachute Brigade), which are highly active, important for developing the military cohesion. Both Brigades Day 3: Wednesday 2 September – A hill walk was scheduled provide their extremely capable, rapid reaction force which is but the weather deteriorated and we waited in a cafe by the held at high readiness to deploy on operations anywhere in car park for the weather to improve but there was no sign of the world. The exercise provided the opportunity of joint it. With no hope of the weather getting better we started our training to understand each other’s training agendas, journey to the top of Snowdon at 1100hrs. It was cloudy with compare its similarities and differences. The exercise was heavy rain. Following the Pyg track we went all the way to divided into two phases - firstly the planning and preparation the top at 1085 metres with minimum breaks. The Station phase in and secondly, implementing those cafe was bit of a surprise for me as it was my first time on top plans on Stanford Training Area. of Snowdon. The human’s ability to do things surpassing all the obstacles laid out by the nature is undeniably supreme. X- Ray Troop are the only troop from 250 Queen’s Gurkha After a cup of coffee to warm ourselves up we headed down Signal Squadron to hold the role of Air Assault Task Force to the bottom following the Miner’s track, which was (AATF) and their main effort was to provide communication comparatively easier and longer. We finished our walk at support to Brigade headquarters. The team consisting of 11 1700hrs in the evening and jumped straight in the van for our members with the role of AATF left Gamecock Barracks on 22 trip back to camp. September to Wattisham Airfield, under the direction of Capt Deepak (OC, X-Ray Tp). Before the actual deployment we had Day 4: Thursday 3 September - A combined group activity was one week of in-barracks preparation where we tested and made for the AT personnel. Coasteering is a physical activity confirmed the serviceability of all the deploying detachments. that encompasses movement along the inter-tidal zone of a Before the commencement of the actual exercise the users rocky coastline on foot or by swimming. During the activity requested for all services, therefore we deployed earlier in there were two civilian instructors to teach and guide us order to set up and build the ICS assets and provide these through the safety points involved. We were all dressed in services beforehand. The main ICS detachments used to our wet suits, buoyancy jackets and helmets. The activity provide the services to HQ were Skylark started from the shore, the weather wasn’t sunny but the CCT120, Falcon, Housekeeper and ICS Tails. water wasn’t as cold as we were expecting it to be, or maybe it was the adrenalin rush which kept us warm. We started For the second phase of exercise, which was in Norfolk, we jumping and diving into the water from small heights. The had to shut down and pack away everything including all the

50 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 communication equipment and make ready for the road move. On 3 October, AATF ICS detachment deployed to Norfolk and re-built our NER with all the systems ready to provide the services again. The exercise went smoothly without any major issues due to which the AATF personnel were also able to conduct cross training on various communication equipments. The conclusion of the exercise was announced at midnight 6 October.

Overall, Exercise EAGLES AMARANTE was very successful, it helped to improve the military co-operation between the two nations and develop the interoperability. It was a great experience for all the AATF personnel to get involved in such an important brigade level exercise and understand their way of conduct. A group shot We concluded the day with a relaxed bite to eat and something to drink in the local pub. All in all we had a brilliant trip and we thank the IWM for their contribution to our history.

Army /Corps Swimming and Water Polo – by LCpl Brown and Sig Kemp

It was a brisk morning on 14 October when ten sportsmen met at Regimental MT at Gamecock Barracks. The early start didn’t deter any of us from our goal which was to become Army Water Polo champions. We arrived in Aldershot to catch the first match, the atmosphere was buzzing and the air of competition was palpable. As we watched the first couple The Headquarters on Ex EAGLES AMARANTE of matches our tactician, SSgt Craig Chilvers, pointed out good and bad practices in the pool as well as key players to look out for in future matches. After a gruelling four matches 256 SIGNAL SQUADRON and almost drowning several times we had reached the final. I am sure that it was the longest ten minutes of everyone’s OC Maj IJ Kirk year, but as the buzzer sounded we had won 5-0. SSM WO2 (SSM) B Wildman The following day was the Corps swimming championships. 256 Sqn Imperial War Museum Trip (London) 2015 The day started with two 50 metre breaststroke heats due to – by Sig Orrow the amount of entries. Once we had qualified for the final in the fore-mentioned discipline the rest of the races On Thursday 15 October 2015, members of 256 Sig Sqn commenced. We had swimmers competing in all individual embarked on an educational experience to London’s Imperial male races as well as all male relays. Once all individual races War Museum (IWM). had been swam, where we managed to secure some silverware, the relays started in the afternoon. With each swimmer only able to compete in two events we commenced with the relays. All swimmers performed strongly in their respective events and we were confident we were in with a chance of winning the mens’ overall title. After a few speeches and some waiting around, the results were announced. We had narrowly missed out on top spot with 10 Signal Regiment just beating us. However, we were content with silver.

The Imperial War Museum

Beginning on the first floor there was a piece on the war in Afghanistan, which to our surprise was actually very small and provided limited information about Op HERRICK. Nonetheless, it was interesting for us to see. Personally, I found the 4th floor the most interesting of all. It held information about the Holocaust and I enjoyed learning and reading new insights into this piece of history.

Once we finished looking inside the museum we explored the outside and had a group photo in front of the huge gun piece. As you can see from our particularly animated facial expressions, we had thoroughly enjoyed the day. 30 Sig Regt - The Army Water-Polo Champions

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 51 On the last day there was an all-out war for Signals pride in The exercise was a resounding success as far as the CIS the pool. There were three teams competing; one being 10SR enablers were concerned, and the command elements were who had now become our nemesis after we beat them on the pleased with the level of professionalism and effort of the first day. Our first game was against 21SR in the opening troops applied. The upcoming weeks bring a busy period with game of the tournament. It was a hard fought game but we upgrades, repairs and refreshes coming thick and fast in managed to come out on top at the final buzzer. After a one preparation for Ex JOINT HORIZON, which brings with it its game rest the final was upon us. It was to be battled out own intricacies and challenges, namely having to crowbar once again between 30SR and 10SR. As more people were JFHQ into a building that’s slightly smaller than would be tiring, substitutions were becoming more frequent, but we comfortable. However, 256 Signal Squadron will continue to managed to dominate the opponents which also earned us constantly recalibrate, taking the impossible and making it the title of Inter-Corps Champions. This was a testament to normal practice. teamwork having some novices and some seasoned veterans. The team included, SSgt Chilvers, Sgt McClarence, Cpl 258 SIGNAL SQUADRON Hanson, LCpl Brown, Sig Kemp, Sig Kent, Sig Watson, Sig Wilson, Sig Dawes and Sig Booth. OC Maj P Hodgkinson SSM WO2 (SSM) Wood

Exercise GROWING BEAR – by Sig Laban

On 13 July we deployed on a Squadron leadership development exercise. When we turned up to the MT on camp we had a general knowledge test to decide who got to drive in which car. There were a number to choose from, ranging from an Audi A4 to a Skoda Fabio and the task was to drive to STANTA camp, stopping off at a cultural point of interest en route. Our stop was to be the Wellingborough Museum. Sadly we weren’t there just for the sights and that evening we had to start preparing a presentation on our cultural POI for delivery the following night.

The 30 Sig Regt Swim Team

Exercise SECOND RUN – by Lt M McCabe

On 28 September 2015 Elements of 256 Signal Squadron were lined up and ready to deploy on Ex SECOND RUN. After a hasty prep and PACEX week, there were some nervous faces around, namely Cpl Gains who had bet his eyebrows on everything getting to the location first time. Finally ready to leave, we set off for South Cerney, JAMC. Unfortunately for Sig Greenslade educating the masses everyone concerned, this wasn’t so we could be coordinated through Brize to somewhere sunny, but because they had a spare bit of grass at the back of their camp that would suitably house Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ).

The purpose of the exercise was the planning phase for Ex JOINT HORIZON, which is being carried out Nov-Dec. This meant that the staff were slightly more relaxed, and there was somewhat less pressure on everybody, generally making the exercise a touch easier on the CIS front. Nonetheless all systems were in and working for the majority of the exercise, leaving very little for the service desk to have to battle through.

Due to the amount of time that was available as a result of our excellent communications work, we had a little bit of time for cross training on various systems for the newer members of the Squadron, and also for those who may already be trained on another piece of equipment but are looking for a bit more knowledge. This gave both the students more situational awareness about the headquarters and how their equipment fits in, but also allowed the teachers to compound their knowledge. Constantly looking to ‘triple tap’ and conduct concurrent activity, the quiet periods also allowed us to work towards completing a number of MATTs during the exercise with Sgt Pichilingi leading the efforts. The blind leading the blind

52 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 On the second day we were dropped off in the exercise area Officers and as a result never seem to be too far from a and had to navigate to 6 different command exercise stands swimming pool when away on exercise or operations. Ex which included Molotov throwing among other things. The SPEAR was no different with those deployed finding day ended with us delivering our 15 minute presentations we themselves staying in a beautiful 4* hotel which allowed them had prepared the night before. More command exercises to really enjoy their time off shift. Overall a good exercise were to follow the next day including driving an FFR was had by all with some fantastic feedback being received blindfolded and a small (but challenging) obstacle course. from the Staff Officers on the troops who had deployed really highlighting how adept they are at taking on this specialist The last day was to be a bit different, with us doing 4 stands role. followed by surprise burden retrieval to be completed in teams of 4 led by LCpl Castle and LCpl Allen. When all was On top of Ex ASSEGAI and Ex SPEAR the Troop is now said and done the only thing that remained was to don our focusing on developing the OLRTs further by putting them best outfits, get cleaned up and say a fond 258 farewell to through the Troop led IET cadre which also aims to revise and SSgt Bufton. teach the fundamentals required to be an OLRT Operator. The troops over the next week will be tested in crypto Echo Tp Catch Up – by Lt L Parsons compromise scenarios, bonnet briefs, RECCE reports and more; all in an attempt to ensure they are able to deploy As ever it has been a busy few months for men and women of confidently anywhere in the world within 4 hours and provide Echo Troop. Having deployed in support of 10 Operations the support which the Staff Officers require. over the past year the Troop now finds itself being able to take a breather from tours and instead focus on maintaining SUPPORT SQUADRON the specialist training and equipment which they utilise. OC Maj M Eastman For those who are new to the Troop and require their OLRT SSM WO2 (SSM) P Munslow tick in the box it has meant deployment on Ex ASSEGAI in Longmoor in support of PJHQ OLRT Staff Officers followed by Support Sqn Summer Function – by SSgt Fowler Ex SPEAR; a confirmatory week in Uganda for the lucky few. As OLRT Operators the troops are expected to work in small Support Sqn held a late summer function on 9 Sep 15, which teams often in remote and dangerous environments whilst turned out to be not so sunny but allowed the Sqn personnel keeping their profile under the radar to local governments and their families to enjoy a BBQ in a relaxed environment. and authorities who may be unaware of their presence. Various activities took place during the afternoon including Zorb football, volleyball, gladiator duel and sumo suits. To Both specialist exercises offer the troops something finish off event’s a short game of football was organised by completely different to what is usually requested and gives SSgt Gibson. One of the most entertaining spectacles with them the chance to practice and learn their craft. Ex ASSEGAI OC Maj Eastman, 2IC Capt McBean, RAO Capt Innes, WO2 gives them the cahnce to practice serials in a friendly (SSM) Munslow and Sgt Al Mousley challenging members of environment in slow time where mistakes can be made and the Sqn to a game of bulldog in the zorb balls, with the SSM learnt from. Following this the troops are thrown into the unable to stay in the main arena for most of the game. deep end by going to a completely alien country where customs, personnel and the overall terrain is completely Later in the evening the families joined us and the BBQ was different to what they are used to. Here they are on their served by our very own chefs, who did a fantastic job. own with the Staff Officers having to prove they have learnt Desserts followed in the form of gateaux’s and cheesecakes, everything they need to operate in a non-permissive especially popular with the children. The evening environment. entertainment was provided by 12th Generation who are a local four piece band and did two 50 min sets with the DJ Although a tough exercise, those in E Tp often get to filling the gaps between. The bouncy castle was set-up to experience a few perks of the job by working with Staff allow the children to burn off the cake and allowing the adults to relax and enjoy themselves. A special note must be made for the MT who easily took the best on stage dancing award for busting their moves. The weather for the event held and the turn out from the Sqn was fantastic. Roll on next year’s event.

What exercise looks like for Echo Troop The OC, 2IC and Sgt Mousley getting stuck into the Zorbing

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 53 Lanyard Trophy 2015 - by Cpl Ronner SSgt Harvey was constantly pushing the guys, even to the point where Sig Burrows was trying to double, whilst looking The initial calling notice was placed on Regimental orders in like a man who’d been shot in the leg. We came in at 14hrs May to drum up Regimental teams. Immediately it gathered 24mins, arriving 5th at the finish line. pace with 56 personnel coming forward to volunteer. Unfortunately numbers for training were always Lanyard Trophy 2015 Female team – by LCpl Wilkinson unpredictable due to the nature and readiness the Regiment provides. After months of training, we headed to Yorkshire to compete in the Lanyard Trophy competition. Myself (LCpl Wilkinson), The final hills preparation consisted of a week package in Capt Roberts, Capt Lama, Lt Miskelly, 2Lt Illing and 2Lt Smith Brecon, residing in Sennybridge, enjoying their fine cuisine. had a team talk the night before; we agreed to push to ensure The week consisted of gradually increasing distances each day a win, and that’s exactly what we did. over varying terrain. Every day was similar to the last, SSgt Harvey would dictate the general pace and then SSgt Axell Waking up at 0330 on a Saturday seemed like a little bit of a would dictate the pace up the hills reminding us the trick was struggle for the whole team, however the “inspirational” to avoid getting out of breath. By the end of the week music that we played helped to wake us up. Before we knew everyone knew their own techniques for foot admin, bergen it we were at the start line and the adrenaline kicked in. loading and sock/boot types. Everyone set off and it was like a big race to see who could get into the lead first. It was a long day and a relief when we My personal highlight was watching SSgt Harvey enjoying finally arrived at the finish line almost 15 hours later. pointing out to Lts Murphy and Parsons that as officers they should be bringing the personnel from the back to the front, The highlight of the day for me was bumping into other teams AKA shuttles. It was clear to see the benefit of the week as along the way, particularly the male A team from our own all personnel seemed to improve every day, no-one more than Regiment, who we raced to the halfway checkpoint (we won the ladies team who were improving at a rapid rate. of course).

At 0820 hrs on 11 Sept 15 I arrived at the parade square to see Seeing other competitors was a big boost for the team along a lot of anxious personnel awaiting the journey to the the way, especially seeing people that we knew. Nothing Yorkshire dales. Once final checks had been completed we could feel as good as seeing the finish line though. Lanyard headed for God’s country. Upon arrival the reality of the Trophy was extremely hard but also very rewarding, especially event kicked in as we were greeted by numerous maroon when we were stood on parade and our team was called out, berets in a way only they can. as the female winning team, and the 8th team to finish in the whole competition. Once the team briefings were complete the preparation phase was well under way. There were numerous trips to the scales to verify weight, after repeatedly repacking bergans through nerves. Once everyone had eaten and washed we got lights out early. Unfortunately when we woke up it was still lights out despite LCpl Sunil’s best efforts, which meant the team had to sort their admin out using head torches.

The 30 Sig Regt Female team enjoying arriving at the second admin stop

0530, ready to go in the pouring rain In the morning there was a good number of walking wounded around the camp. Then came the presentations. It was a Lanyard Trophy 2015 Male A Team – by Cpl Ronner pleasure to see the ladies hard work had paid off, picking up their winner’s trophies. The final groaning during drill as we We were steady from the start, and stayed strong as a team. fell out was our indication to disappear back to camp. Whilst As we began to pick up the pace, we were gradually drifting at the services the men were struggling to say the least. Sig past teams one at a time as they were separating. We were Clarke Duncan was imitating John Wayne down to a fine art. determined to catch both the other 30SR teams who had gained a lead. Morale started to pick up as we began to pick It is a fair assessment to say Lanyard was an experience, one teams off, with both good speed and route selection. that every individual has a different opinion on. Some were Throughout the day each man had a leg where they struggled, glad to have completed it, some have no interest in doing it but had the grit, and determination to carry them through to again, some are willing to do it again in the future, and no the end. doubt people want to participate next year. No matter what

54 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 everyone used to this fact. Cfn Dave Vosper thought he would need his saddle surgically removed from his rear end and Cfn Ben Mather swears his lungs are still somewhere on that climb. Once all had conquered the climb, the odd fall and mechanical issue aside, the rest of the weeks passed without incident. A special mention must go out to Sig Yogesh Gurung for the best fall of the two weeks. Whilst on the blue trail at Llandegla he failed to spot the three foot high stack of logs on the side of the trail and just piled straight into them. With his bike left static at the foot of the pile he proceeded to fly straight over them and flat out onto the floor. With man and bike all ok he carried on in fits of laughter.

The 30 Sig Regt Female Team Winners of The Lanyard Trophy 2015 times people finished, knowing that you had the determination to see it through is reward in itself. On the fat tyres Exercise DRAGON SWAN – by Sgt Wright

Ex DRAGON SWAN was a type 2 AT package run for members Wednesday of each of the weeks would take us up to of the Sqn over a two week period at Nesscliff Training Camp. Anglesey for a Coasteering session. For many it was their first Its main aim was to get members of the Sqn away from camp experience of the activity, and what an experience it was. The and normal duties, and to carry out some long overdue AT. weather was to play a major role in both sessions, with week Each individual took part in one activity for the week, be it one bringing a rough churning swell and week two bringing mountain biking, rock climbing or summer mountaineering, no swell at all. Week one was all about survival in the water. with everyone doing coasteering half way through. The waves were so high it was difficult to get in and out. Jumping was kept to a minimum and the safety rope deployed We had two weeks of contrasting weather with week one constantly. Our two civilian instructors were constantly a wet affair, with mornings full of rain and the afternoons looking at calling it a day and pulling us out but thought better sunny and then full of more rain. Week two was to be much of it and decided to push a bunch of squaddies. Once the more pleasurable and full of sunshine. The rain on week one session had finished they admitted that, had we been civilians made life for the climbers very tricky indeed with time on the they would not have run it. With the sea a whole lot calmer crags spent dodging the rain. The second week was far more week two’s session was about height and jumping. Before enjoyable for the climbers and it was hard to get them away departing though a quick stop at ASDA was required so that from the rock face. Unbelievable though it may seem both OC Sqn, Maj Eastman, and WO2 (SSM) Munslow could buy a weeks on the crags passed without incident (that’s what I’m pair of trainers. The site of both trying to find the cheapest told!!). I put this down to the excellent instruction of WO2 pair they could which included looking, and trying on women’s (YofS) Toby Dudley. will live with me for a long time. I was unaware that the fitting of the shoe was so important for a thrash around in the sea!!! The walkers had the rough end of the stick with 2 hour travel The session went without incident with all enjoying it, and times to the mountains of mid and north Wales. They did some managing to jump from over 40 feet up. manage to almost get themselves on TV, as Walking with the Wounded were filming a piece for “The Pride of Britain Awards” whilst walking up Snowdon. For WO2 (FofS) Jim Burnham this would be the last Sqn AT package of a 22 year career, and he made sure that all his summer mountaineers got some enjoyment out of walking up and down mountains, across baby’s heads and through streams. As you would expect with walking the two weeks were incident free.

Mountain biking was thought to be the easier option by students with cries of “How hard can it be to ride a bike” heard too often on the Sunday evenings. After a morning spent learning basic skills it was off to Llandegla Forest trail centre. It was here that they learnt how hard it was to ride a bike, with LCpl Dan Booth and Sgt Rick Fawcett becoming casualties on the skills park. With basic skills learnt and practiced it was onto the blue trail. This is when everyone realised that to enjoy the downhill bits you must first ride uphill and Llandegla offers a three mile uphill slog to get Ready to go

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 55 ROYAL SIGNALS CORPS CALENDAR 2016

January April

12 RSTL Board - London 3 - 9 Ex WINTER JIMMY 27 Corps Cross Country Championships 7 Sgt - SSgt Promotion Board Results 16 White Helmets Opening Show - Blandford 30 Army v Navy Rugby - Twickenham

February May

4 SSgt - WO2 Promotion Board Results 4 Corps & Ladies Rugby 7's - Blandford 5 Honorary Colonels Briefing - Blandford 4 - 5 Corps Spring Golf Meet - Blandford 20 - 21 Ex LIGHTNING STRIKE - Blandford 6 Corps Inter-Unit Rugby Final – Blandford 10 Corps Council Meeting - London 10 Corps London Dinner - London 22 RSA Area 1 (N) Eden Camp Parade - N Yorks 26 Race the Sun - York

March June

3 PLOD - Blandford 2 Cpl - Sgt Promotion Board Results 3 Red Tab Cabal - Blandford 8 WCIT Employment Panel - Blandford 3 Corps Guest Night - Blandford 9 RSI Summer Lecture - Blandford 17 RSI Spring Lecture - Blandford 17 Corps Conference - Blandford 18 RSA Central Committee Meeting - VSC London 18 - 19 RSA Reunion Weekend - Blandford 18 RSA Curry Supper - VSC London 18 Corps Luncheon - Blandford 19 RSA AGM - London 22 - 23 Morrison Cup - Blandford 21-25 Corps Individual and Team Boxing 25 Armed Forces Day Championships - Bramcote 28 Princess Royal Day 23 RSTL Board - London 25-28 Ex MERCURY COMPASS No 12 (Orienteering) - Yorkshire

56 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 ROYAL SIGNALS CORPS CALENDAR 2016

July October

7 LCpl - Cpl Promotion Board Results 6 PLOD - Blandford 29 - 31 TRAILWALKER - South Downs - confirmation 6 Red Tab Cabal - Blandford to follow 6 Corps Guest Night - Blandford 9 - 14 Ex KESWICK RUNNER 10 - 14 LECB - Blandford 13 RSI Autumn Lecture - Blandford 20 RSA Central Committee Meeting - London 27 The Scottish Dinner - Glasgow

August November

1 - 5 Ex MERCURY COMPASS No 13 10 Field of Rembrance Service - London (Orienteering) - Wales 11 Armistice Day 29 RSA Gathering of the Clans - Horden 13 Remembrance Sunday 17 Corps Council Meeting - London 17 RSI Lecture and Dinner - London

September December

1 Sig - LCpl Promotion Board Results 1 WO2 - WO1 Promotion Board Results 4 Corps Northern Lunch - Stafford 8 Apprentice of the Year Awards - Blandford 6 - 8 Corps Cycling & Triathlon Championships - TBC 14 - 15 Corps Autumn Golf Meet - Blandford 24 Lanyard Trophy - TBC

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 57 32nd SIGNAL REGIMENT GLASGOW

CO Lt Col J R Knight MBE RSM WO1 (RSM) W King

2 (CITY OF AND HIGHLAND) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj L Bertram

ADE 2015 - by LCpl Smith

2 Sig Sqn conducted their Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE) within the RM CONDOR barracks in Arbroath over the period 5 – 20 Sep 15 to test the Low Frequency Fall Back (LFFB) communication system. A favourable weather window during the first day of the exercise allowed the main site to be built within a mere 36 hours. Squadron personnel were split into squads and allocated jobs, during which all members got their hands dirty and worked as a team to build the site in record time (typical squadron mentality). Despite having no REME SV support to unload the containers, hard manual labour LCpl Smith harnessed and ready to use the cherry picker provided by WO2 William Smith and Cpl Scott McDonald soon had the job in hand. Once the site was built and the 40 () SIGNAL SQUADRON aerostat was launched, the Squadron went into a normal shift routine. This provided an opportunity for inexperienced OC Maj G Stevenson Squadron members to go through their system workbooks. SSM WO2 (SSM) G Gamble Flight Control Officers SSgt Kevin McLean and Sgt Rod Hamilton and module supervisor Sgt Lesley Bayne provided Community Engagement valuable lessons that covered various aspects of the system. Hands on Community Engagement day at the Somme Nursing home in Belfast was organised by WO2 Glenn Campbell. The Somme Nursing Home is a charity that provides treatment and quality care for service and ex-service personnel and is located less than one mile from 40 Sig Sqn’s Army Reserve Centre in Clonaver Park, Belfast.

The site dates back to the outbreak of the war in 1914, when the Council of the Ulster Volunteers Force offered its complete medical organisation to the in the form of a fully equipped hospital for the treatment of sick and wounded soldiers. The offer was gratefully accepted and at the beginning of 1915 it was formally opened by Lord and Lady Edward Carson. Seven volunteers from the Sqn took on the much needed gardening and general tidying up of the entire site as part of our on-going community engagement. We were lucky to have Cpl James Smart on the team who is a tree surgeon in civvie street, who took the lead in making The 2 Sig Sqn aerostat short work of the maintenance tasks. The groundsman, Billy, who is an Ex Royal Irish CSM, looked after us extremely well A field kitchen was set up by the G4 staff, SSgt Jock Castle and resident chef Sgt Sheila Chalmers, with help from 40 Sig Sqn chefs who made the journey over from Northern Ireland. Multiple visits were scheduled during the exercise and the recruiting team brothers LCpl Steven Smith and Cpl Paul Smith set up a demonstrative recruiting stall in the garages of RM CONDOR. The new caravan was front and centre, however the focus was on the miniature-sized aerostat soaring above. The polished display included the model site that is used to show new recruits and candidates what the Squadron’s primary role is. This was a very successful deployment for the Squadron, as we achieved each mandated objective.

The aerostat deflation went seamlessly and the teardown was done in slow time to offer the inexperienced members another opportunity to develop their skills and get closer to completing their system workbooks. Now all attention is turned to May for the next deployment. The 40 Sig Sqn team cleaning the memorial garden

58 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 and the day was planned like a military exercise with Billy in a unexpected down pour. A Blue Peter task later with giving us an opening Health & Safety brief and site plan along, some black tape, they soon had their mishap under control. with keeping us topped up with refreshments. After the driver training in and another ferry crossing At the end of the day both the Somme Nursing Home staff into Holland, the 1000 mile main drive began. This was to test and we were amazed at what we had achieved. The memorial the 3rd and 4th job of an operator, driving and navigational garden had been transformed back to its former glory and the skills. With all Bowman detachments second in the packets, nursing home’s main entrance routes and gardens were some soon found themselves lead vehicles and leading the transformed back to be enjoyed by the residents and their way through Holland, Germany and into Denmark. Pushing families. Thank you to the volunteers whom all got stuck in driving hours to their limit the first of the packets arrived after and worked extremely hard and made a real difference to the 19 hours on the road. The next day we settled into our new local community. WO2 (SSM) Glenn Campbell, Sgt Debbie home, a Danish training camp along the coast. Sig Brian Wolfe, Sgt Maggie Robertson, Cpl James Smart, Cpl Jackie Edgar and Sig Mike Noble having arrived on the advance McKeown, Cpl Glen Lord and Sig Edgar. party, had our accommodation sorted and soon gave us the lay of the land. This proved valuable as orders came later that day for the ex deployment, no time to unpack, all assets were deploying that evening. For those with the main refuelling units, it was again more driving. Luckily main HQ and the bulk fuelling depot that had been set up in advance by members of 152 RLC and the RE with their Danish counterparts, were in close proximity and our assets at these locations were set up and communicating in the early phase of the exercise.

The end of a long, but rewarding day

Exercise VIKING STAR – by Sgt Wilson

Ex VIKING STAR was a simulated multi-nation exercise, designed to test the Reserve Forces of the British Army fuelling a Battle Group in an AOR under combat conditions. The exercise was held in Denmark during Sep 15 and incorporated units of the Danish Army, British plant engineers and RLC tanker and fuelling units. The lead on the exercise was 152 RLC with the aim of testing their new role, tactical bulk fuelling capabilities. The planning for the exercise 40 Sig Sqn Assets ready for exercise deployment started some 18 months prior with 152 RLC identifying a number of outstanding tasks, one of which was the capability to provide tactical communications across the exercise AOR Over the next 4 days the exercise built up momentum with to the different fuelling and HQ locations. fuelling locations across Denmark and tankers moving to and from the Bulk Fuelling Installation, the area was a hive of With 40 Sig Sqn located just down the road, the natural vehicles and nationalities. At the request of 152 RLC an choice was to approach us for this specialist capability. With American contingent observing the exercise made their way formal requests and confirmation through 32 Sig Regt RHQ around the different locations. At the main HQ location they the Squadron was soon given the green light in May to met with OC 40 Sig Sqn Maj Stevenson, also a visiting guest, prepare for an exercise deployment. Although the early time who showed them around the Sqn’s capabilities and setups. frame seemed adequate, the Sqn was already tasked for September, providing the very first Reserve capability course As the exercise progressed and locations changed from for Electronic Counter Measures in support of our sister Sqn region to region, so did the on-going task of engineering from 225 (ECM (FP)) as well as the Regimental Annual Deployment the Bowman detachments. For a few hours all comms were Exercise over the same dates. A few phone calls later and an coming through LCpl Ruiri Mortimer and LCpl Richard experienced team had been tasked with Sgt Kris Wilson Clarke’s c/s, much to their annoyance and our amusement, as taking the lead. July and August saw the unit ready with 5 on paper they seemed to have the easier of all the Bowman Detachments for the exercise, with further detachment jobs. Sig Grant Colgan and Sig Behrendt had the preparations planned in the lead up to September. difficult job of setting up in some strange locations, one of which seemed great in the night time hours on their arrival. The start of the exercise saw 40 Sig Sqn assets embedded Only to find themselves surrounded by marsh and forest, how into152 RLC packets in Belfast. From here a ferry trip and road they ever managed to communicate through the trees move to Leconsfield training area gave those from the Sqn a surpasses me, maybe it was Sig Behrendt’s impeccable unique experience at the different driving conditions available understanding of the German language that got them by. on the purpose built courses. The main reason was to practice driving on the right hand side of the road, easier said The end of a tiring and successful exercise saw the than done in some cases. With only minor vehicle issues from detachments return safely back to exercise HQ, some well- 152 RLC the REME were kept busy. The main priority for 40 deserved rest and warm food is always a big morale boost. Sig Sqn were their own detachments, although Cpl Andy However it wasn’t until Sgt Kris Wilson and Cpl Andy Bradshaw and LCpl Dean Bird nearly lost their window wipers Bradshaw, who were out on a tasking to the international

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 59 church was nice and steeped in history. After a pleasant service and asking forgiveness for our sins we attended the necessary RSOI briefings all day. The ‘look forward to’ the next day was a pistol range under SSgt Tony Muers and his staff. We fired the Glock 17 – my first time; I was very happy with my performance! Everyone did well, less LCpl Bleu Grice (put your money where your mouth is!).

The next two days were steeped in BCCS lessons in the Dry Training Areas (DTAs), co-ordinated by SSgt Andy Heighton. We were taught patrol harbours, how to patrol, CASPERS, CASEVAC drills under fire, individual fire & manoeuvre (F&M), pairs F&M, and section attacks. Some of this was essential revision for us, and some of it was brand new, but the methods taught by the SPSIs were brilliant – we were treated Sig Colgan’s Detachment with all the space he needs like adults. I even learnt what EDIP meant, and we were educated in that logical sequence – with lots of practice! Prior airport, spotted one of Denmark’s greatest exports! Well, this to the ‘few’ days practice we got all our belt kit and bergens was an opportunity not to miss. The day set aside for rest in order, packing the right kit into the right pouch etc. I didn’t and recuperation, we grabbed the team and took them to want to be searching for my gortex jacket in the bottom of Lego Land - that’s right, the kids in us were released! The my Bergen on a dark rain-lashed night! Then came the perfect ending to a great exercise, minus the long journey platoon insertion into the DTA. We were seated in our c/s and back home, but that wasn’t going to stop us. received deployment orders for the exercise with an Op TEMPERER theme, making it all the more realistic. After section back-briefs we continued our preparation, charging ammo into our magazines, checking radios for comms prior to moving, receiving more kit, grabbing 48hrs Operational Ration Packs (ORPs), and receiving more kit. We then conducted rehearsals, straightforward stuff, until I felt the full weight of the kit on my back!

32 Sig Regt Ex VIKING STAR personnel

ECM (FP) Course – by Sgt Maggie Robertson

The Electronic Counter Measures (Force Protection), (ECM (FP)) course, 6-19 Sep 15, had 10 Army Reserve personnel from 40 Sig Sqn and 4 Regular personnel from 225 Sig Sqn (ECM(FP)) loaded onto it. This was the first mixed course ever run by 225 Sig Sqn, under the guidance of FofS Pauley and YofS Kibble.

We knew that there was going to be a lot of information to take in but instead of the normal ‘steep learning curve’ we had ‘vertical take-off’. With teamwork we all managed to absorb and retain the required information, so by the second week we were prepared to give our table-top presentation Sig Appleton on patrol during ADE 2015 with confidence and carry out the required health checks and paperwork. Thankfully, on the last day we all passed the On setting out our first task was to establish a patrol harbour. written exam. This was an excellent course, and with This was laborious though vital if we required a firm base to on-going training 40 Sig Sqn can now integrate with our operate from. Once completed and happy with our work we Regular counterparts in 225 Sig Sqn and work alongside them established routine, but we received our first set of orders for as required on operations. We now aim to train with the a patrol task – this went on for days, patrol after patrol. Regular component on a monthly basis to prevent skill-fade. However we knew how to patrol properly by the end. On completion of our experience on the DTAs and defeating the It was a mentally challenging course though very enjoyable! ‘enemy’ we moved back into camp and cleaned our weapons before a welcoming hot shower and a beautiful mattress! We Exercise NORTHERN CHARGE 2015 – by Sig Stephen Appleton had a Regimental BBQ rather than an evening meal on the Friday evening, relaxing and catching up with each other and This year 32 Sig Regt was in Queen Elizabeth Barracks Training getting involved in the banter, followed by a day’s rest for the Camp, Strensall for our Annual Deployment Exercise (ADE). junior ranks. The training that we was excellent preparation We took the overnight ferry from Belfast to Birkenhead and for PNCO and CLM courses and has put us all in a good then drove to York. On arrival we were put into marvellous position to attend these courses. accommodation by the QM (V), Maj Terry McVey, and the first meal was better than we had expected. This was to continue I can rate this as the best ADE so far – looking forward to next whenever we were back in camp. The first morning of the year! first week was Church Parade under Padre Chris Rowe. The

60 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 37th SIGNAL REGIMENT REDDITCH

CO Lt Col T J Downes Capt Naveed Muhammad, the Chairman of the UK Armed RSM WO1 (RSM) Morrison Forces Muslim Association, said: “We are delighted to have received this award in recognition of all that we are doing, Following a really successful Annual Deployment Exercise and all that we wish to do in the future, to support the (ADE) to STANTA Training Area, where the focus was on Muslims within the , Army and RAF. None of this preparation and training for UK Ops, the Regimental focus is would be possible without the support of the Chain of now back onto recruiting as we embark on another surge Command and also that of the Chief of Defence Staff as well period with support from 16 Sig Regt RST. During the past as Chief of Defence People. few months other activities have included the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), a variety of training weekends Sandra Kerr, Race Equality Director, Business in the and plenty of Adventurous Training Exercises over the Community, said: “Congratulations to the Armed Forces on summer period. Farewell and best wishes to the outgoing their awards. They are thinking in terms of the complete YofS, WO2 Wilson, who is wished all the best for his future talent pipeline by ensuring ethnic minority employees are assignments and thanked for his contribution to the Regt represented at all levels within their organisations, developing during the past few years. the diverse talent they attract and creating a reputation as a great place to work. The Armed Forces offer a great example There have been several key achievements by Regt personnel of best practice in this area and should be incredibly proud of recently and special mention goes to Maj Bob Dobson on this achievement”. receipt of the award for “Outstanding Contribution to Health and Wellbeing through Leisure and Culture”; Capt Nav Army and Civil Service Archery success by Sarah Trout Muhammad for his contribution as chairman to the Armed Forces Muslim Association (AFMA) who were awarded the Civilian AO Sarah Trout has had a busy period as part of the Employee Network Public Sector Award at the Hilton; Sarah Army and Civil Service archery teams. Sarah shoots in the Trout for her contribution as Captain of the Army Archery compound class and was successful in winning gold at the Association and “Gold” success at a number of Army and Army Outdoor Championships held at Chicksands this year. National events. The Civil Service National Championships at Stormont saw her return home with 1st Placed Regional Team (Midlands), 1st The Armed Forces Muslim Association Receive an Award at place Departmental Team (MOD), Individual Ladies Compound the Race for Opportunity Awards on 6 Oct 15 2nd place and Ladies Compound Winter Pairs Postal League Frostbite highest score. Sarah took on the mantle of Team The Armed Forces Muslim Association (AFMA) have been Captain for the Army Archery Association at the Inter Services recognised for their leadership in creating equal and inclusive Outdoor Championships at HMS Sultan where she won gold workplaces for black, Asian and minority ethnic employees by for her individual category and led her team to silver in the winning the Race for Opportunity Employee Network Public mixed team (consisting of serving and non-serving personnel Sector Award at the Race for Opportunity Awards 2015. with mixed bow styles). Her Army team also won the Serving recurve category and were overall champions, therefore The Award is part of Business in the Community’s race reclaiming the trophy. equality campaign. Business in the Community is a British business-community outreach charity promoting responsible business and corporate social responsibility. The awards ceremony, hosted by ITV News presenter Charlene White, took place on 6 October 2015 at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel and was attended by more than 500 business leaders. Now in their ninth year, the Awards celebrate outstanding practice, innovation and dedication to race equality and inclusion in UK workplaces.

Capt Naveed Muhammad – AFMA Chairman (2nd from left) Sarah Trout: Army Archery Association Team Captain

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 61 54 (QOWWY) SUPPORT SQUADRON location. The hut is located very near to the centre of the town and provides easy access to both the southern and OC Maj D Dewfall northern mountains. SSM SSgt P Hall On a very wet Friday afternoon the advance party made it to The summer has gone by in a flurry of activity that has seen the hut after a journey that seemed to take an eternity from Support Squadron continue to grow in size to its current 160% Redditch. After a brief hand over, the rush to get rations for of held strength against establishment. Our RSUSO, Sgt Russ the weekend started with a slow trip to the nearest Aldi in Taylor, has worked incredibly hard to recruit and process our Penrith, which also seemed to be gridlocked with holiday new arrivals, as well as lead them through Phase 1 training. traffic. Once everything was collected it was back to Retention has been on our mind as well and a very Ambleside to make sandwiches for twenty people and to sort worthwhile adventure training weekend to the Lake District, breakfast for the Saturday. In the nick of time everything was organised primarily by Sgt John Phillips, gave everyone some completed just before the main party arrived and yet no much needed stress-busting excitement. amount of times I said “I’ve been busy”, did anybody believe me. Saturday stayed true to the forecast and dawned clear We have taken part in several exercises with outside units and and bright, though not particularly warm, which was an we currently have Sig Christopher Malcolm and Sig John advantage when the activities involved an ascent of Helvellyn Stephens working on Exercise CAMBRIAN PATROL. Several and mountain biking in the Grizedale Forest. Helvellyn may be Support Squadron personnel took part in Lanyard Trophy and a bit of a tourist trap, but Striding Edge provides a gentle LCpl Simon Hathaway and Sig Kiel Vaughan have just introduction to scrambling and the area is one that most returned from a week on Exercise LONG WARRIOR. members of the Sqn were not familiar with. Our route took us from Patterdale up Patterdale Common to Hole-in-the-Wall. Squadron personnel have taken part in several individual It wasn’t typical August temperatures and the wind seemed sporting events; Sig Nick Marshall participated in an Army to find you wherever you tried to shelter for lunch. cycling gravity enduro race which qualified him to train with the Army squad. LCpl Darren Roland continues the season with the Army Reserve football team, Sig Shanice James has spent several weeks training with the Army boxing development squad and Sarah Trout took on the mantle of Captain of the Army archery team in the inter services archery competition. LCpl Callum McCormick represented the Army at Tae Kwon Do.

The recent highlight for our SSM, SSgt Paul Hall, and Sig Lewis Felton was being Flag Bearers at Villa Park for the South Africa v Samoa match in the Rugby World Cup, which was by all accounts a superb experience. Congratulations to LCpl Rebecca Abrahams who has been shortlisted in one of the most prestigious awards in IT.

Sp Sqn AT in the Lake District “on the edge”

Striding Edge funnelled everybody following the ridge into a confined area and it was like the queues at Tesco had suddenly been moved to a mountain in the Lake District. On a positive note nobody seemed to have an issue with the exposure on the ridge, though some took the easier option of the right hand path below the ridge, rather than going over the top. Once at the top, SSgt Abbott told an engaging story about Dunmail, the Cumbrian king who defeated the Vikings and then the weather closed in quite rapidly. Our descent off via Dollywaggon Pike and Grizedale Tarn saw us escape the crowds, before returning to Ambleside over Kirkstone Pass. The mountain bikers had beaten us back and said how they thought the trails in Grizedale Forest weren’t going to be that LCpl Rebecca Abrahams shortlisted for 2015 UK IT industry good, but in the end it had turned out to be a really good awards location. There had been no serious falls and everybody had returned in one piece, which was a relief. Exercise DRAGON SUMMER 15 Sunday started with a debate about whether the original plan 54 (QOWWY) Support Squadron opted for a change to Wales should be changed because of the travelling time back to for their annual adventurous training weekend and took RHQ, and mountain walk became a lake walk, which became a advantage of the Ambleside Hut in the Lake District as a base trip to the waterfalls at Aira Force. With the weather

62 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 improving, and the sun finally heating the air around us, it Warrior (AKA SSgt Jimmy Bond) as the Commanding Officer proved to be a relaxing end to a weekend which had seen the of 3 PWRR. Lt Col Jedi-Warrior was briefed by the Sqn OC, Sqn travel to an unfamiliar area for their annual adventurous Maj Andy Bowdler on the capabilities that the Sqn could training. With requests to return the following year I guess it provide for him and later that day a second visitor, Capt had been a success and a challenging experience. Stewart also of 3 PWRR arrived and informed us he was the G6 LO with a request for services; “very strangely” he also 33 (LANCASHIRE) SIGNAL SQUADRON looked like SSgt Bond! SSgt Bond has taken this new role in his stride and is looking forward to life in the Officers’ Mess. OC Maj A Bowdler Day 2 in the field location saw a nice start to the day, with no SSM WO2 (SSM) Jolliffe rain either, which is always a bonus on Ex. The field heater had done its job and there was plenty of hot water for a wash Knowsley Sports and Cultural Awards 2015 Winner – Maj RM and brush up. It was good to see new members of the Sqn Dobson MBE using their initiative, with Sig Scott Densmore using his mobile phone camera to see his reflection whilst having a On Friday 9 October 2015, at an awards ceremony held in the shave! Visitors started arriving in the form of the Sqn SPSI’s Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park Maj Bob Dobson won the SSgts Bond and Earl, closely followed by WO2 Yeoman of following award: “Outstanding Contribution to Health and Signals (Not YofS) Tharby, to assist with Bowman issues that Wellbeing through Leisure and Culture”. The award is for an were being encountered. Education complete and problems individual of any age who has had a significant impact on the solved, the visitors trotted off back to Wretham Camp. lives of others, helping and supporting others to engage in leisure and culture activities that help to improve their health and wellbeing and enrich people’s lives. For the past 4 years Maj Dobson has been collecting military artefacts that represent the Reserve Forces over the past 50 years, all with direct connections to the local area. His collection has now been recognised and holds equipment and uniform from the First World War to the current date.

The collection helped to inspire the local authority to raise awareness of the Army Reserve and its valuable contribution to society. A website was created and can be viewed at: www.preservingthepast.prescotmuseum.org.uk This shows some of the collection and also includes innovative ideas on showing War Memorials to a greater audience. The tag line of “Preserving the Past with the Present, for the Future” Sunrise over STANTA - ADE 2015 summarises the collection and the ongoing awareness campaign. Wednesday started with the sun shining, which meant the Exercise LIVESTOCK CHALLENGE: Week One Sqn ISOC was in good spirits and everyone was ready for the - by Sgt Sue Stanford day ahead, whatever that may bring. Sgt Johnny Goodwin burst into the G1 office in a panic, as I had turned the kettle Day one in the big brother house and we were all up early; on and knocked the gene off! Once the brew was made the two vehicle packets lined up and were ready to roll out the panic was then over though. With ongoing comms issues, the gate for the journey down to STANTA, Norfolk for the start of decision was made to move buildings at Stanford Council ADE 15. The Sqn were in high spirits and the long journey was Houses; which involved a 20m move across the area, but rather uneventful, with everyone arriving in one piece. The thankfully resolved the connection problem. CST 33B was first night saw all the Regimental OR’s descend on the NAAFI tasked during this phase to Thetford , who complex; who seemed a little unprepared for the influx of provided an excellent facility including, beds, showers, TV and people, but it was a good opportunity to meet other an excellent administration area. Thanks to the ACF staff for members of the Regt and catch up with some old friends. providing this facility. Friday saw ENDEX being called for this phase of ADE and after breakfast we made our way back to Wretham camp at around 0800hrs. To make the turnaround a bit more enjoyable, the Sqn decided to run what could only be described as a “Gun Run”. The guys and girls were split into 3 teams and had to run from one end of the square to the trailers, lay out the kit for inspection and return the spare wheel back to the start point to be declared the winners. Kit done, the evening saw a Regimental BBQ held at the Tri Bar; thanks to the chefs for providing the food which was much appreciated after the 24hr ORP.

Saturday was a more relaxed day which saw the sports day organised by SSgt Joey Maguire and the help of his assistants, 33 Sig Sqn on parade Pre ADE 2015 PTI’s LCpl Chris Clarke and OCdt Dilnot. What should have been a half hour trip to RAF Honington turned into an hour Monday saw the start of the communication phase with a and a half journey though, mainly due to a cycle event that Regimental PACEX, which was not only overseen by the YofS, had closed off nearly all the roads in the local area. The but also “3G the cat” who, by this point had taken a liking to events of the day consisted of volleyball, , the Sqn. Once the PACEX was completed, the following and then the tug-of-war. We had a few dark horses who morning saw 2 packets move to Stanford Council Houses. The proved an asset to the rounders team; SSgt Jimmy Bond Facilities Manager SSgt Dean Wilkinson stepped up and played a blinder – who knew he could run so fast! The night sorted out the buildings for sleeping and mess arrangements, saw the Officer’s and SNCO’s come together for a combined before our first visit as part of the scenario from Lt Col Jedi- Mess function, with 33 Sig Sqn Honoury Colonel, Adrian

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 63 Kermode being the CO’s guest for the evening. Thanks again to work. After 4 days graft, set up was almost complete. We to the chefs for providing a brilliant meal and the PMC, SSgt then got assigned to the SOC. Throughout the rehearsal day Tom Earl for putting together a great night. The bar closed at and the show days we had a rare insight to how the show is midnight and everyone retired in order to be bright and bushy run; plus we got a good view of the displays from our office tailed for the start of Ex HORSESHOE RESOLVE; a 2 Sig Gp FTX window! After 12 long days it was sad to say goodbye to RAF to be run in conjunction with 11 Sig Bde ICS Ex FLYING Fairford, but an experience that very few have had the FALCON. privilege to see.

48 (CITY OF BIRMINGHAM) SIGNAL SQUADRON BMF Midland Majors - by Sgt Shaw

OC Maj S Cherry Saturday 26 Sept saw the 48 Sqn recruiting team attend the SSM WO2 (SSM) Fowler British Military Fitness (BMF) Midland Major Series mud run. Although mud, obstacle courses and running are naturally Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) - by Sgt Monaghan associated with the military, not many in green will associate these activities with fun, however, for some reason it has This was my 6th year of attending RIAT and this exercise gives become a massive market for civilians paying to compete in me a chance to challenge myself more and more each year as this kind of race. The main attraction for these events is the the RIAT expands. Visitors this year were 149,000 people who sense of achievement you get for completing a challenge, came to see 50 different nations perform their aircraft from especially one a bit different from the norm. With that in all around the world. With this comes the background work mind the 48 Sqn Recruiting Team attended the Midland to install a communication system that allows the air show to Majors for a chance to promote the opportunities the Army go ahead. This year saw an expansion of Wi-Fi to allow Reserve offers to do similar types of activities. Sig Kiran Rai scanners to be used at all the access points to the airfield for and Sig Chris Parker took part in the 10km run, Sig Rai got an the visitors and also allowing free Wi-Fi access for the public. official place of 41 out of 635 competitors, Sig Parker was a I also ran one of the installation teams which gave me the good few places ahead of him, but his timing device went challenge of teaching other soldiers that are not used to this missing somewhere in the mud, so we will never know his form of installation, to learn, from the basic install up to official place! engineering a link. From this they get the broader spectrum of one install to the bigger picture, culminating in the installation of the CRASH system which allows for the emergency services to liaise with each other simultaneously in the event of an emergency, no matter how small or big. I also had the supervisory role in the Show Operations Centre (SOC) where I gave a brief to the team who really impressed me with their professionalism throughout.

Sig Mander (54 Sqn): Ex RED ARROW has provided a different experience of communications for me within the military as it encompasses people from both the military and civilian life. RIAT gave me a great opportunity to learn new skills, working alongside professional BT engineers and has shown me how beneficial these exercises are.

Sig Parker (48Sqn): RIAT was a good experience for me as an untraded soldier. I observed many new skills that would not normally have been afforded to me through the training I am currently undertaking. It gave me an insight to the broader 48 Sig Sqn at Midlands Mud Runner aspect of ground communications and Wi-Fi and working alongside civilians helped forge a better understanding of where eventually my military role may take me. Best achievement of the day though has to go to Sig Ashley Noon, who completed the 5k obstacle run. Sig Noon is LCpl Lewis (39SR): This was my second year at RIAT and this coming back from injury, and after a couple of years of doing time I was given the responsibility of being a team leader. limited fitness, she has recently made a positive change to her This gave me the confidence to excel in my leadership skills lifestyle, taking part in British Military Fitness sessions away and developing teaching skills to boot. My main task was to from the unit as well as being active in the unit. In a month manage the installation of some of the telephones required she has lost a stone in weight, ran her first ever 5k run and for the duration of the air show which also included VoIP, now completed this obstacle race. This was not an easy feat, which also included the installation of Wi-Fi. I also had the as her facial expressions showed, but she kept going and opportunity of working in the Show Operations Centre (SOC) completed the challenge. She should be really proud of what where all the strategic planning for the show gets put in use. she has achieved in such a short space of time – well done. Our role was to support the SOC staff including the emergency procedure process in the unfortunate event of 50 (N) SIGNAL SQUADRON anything happening during the show. This was a real time operation which kept everyone on their toes. I also had the OC Maj N R Coatsworth MBE opportunity of working alongside some of my Regular SSM WO2 (SSM) Ross counterparts from 10SR and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to support it. Lanyard Trophy 2015

Cpl Williams and Cpl Doyle (33Sqn): We turned up at RIAT With a busy Regimental forecast of events, getting the teams after a long journey from Liverpool not really knowing what together to train prior to the event had been a challenge in to expect. The vast task ahead of supplying phones and IT itself for team IC SSgt Dave Graham, but importantly the Regt across a 2 mile showground and background operations was a were entering again. Before travelling up to Yorkshire, the little daunting. We were taught to terminate phones then got team met up at RHQ the night before, for some last minute

64 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 kit checks and stocking up on supplies of Lucozade and By this point all the A team, except for LCpl Olivier and Sgt Harribo! The next day, arrival at Horton in Ribblesdale, in Shaw, had picked up injuries and had to withdraw. Having what was usually a civilian camp site, but had been turned never done a Lanyard and the thought of having to come into a military campsite and operating area for the event. We back to do another one they asked if they could carry on with registered, were shown the emergency GPS/sat-phones then the Bravo team, who were at the same checkpoint in order to moved into our allotted tents/holding areas. After a briefing at least say they had completed the course. They were from team captains we got our heads down for a few hours allowed to tag along, although as soon as they set off again before reveille at around 3am. We took on breakfast, had our they were perhaps questioning that decision. Bergen’s checked and weighed, then both 37SR teams made their way to the start line in the dark and driving rain; the The next check point was demoralising as it was placed at the goretex was definitely needed! Crag of Blea Moor, a spot height of 535metres, but due to being a convex hill, you could not see the checkpoint, even after climbing hundreds of metres, you just had to trust that you were on the right bearing. After checking in and an impromptu toilet stop! we then headed back down the hill, took a short cut by crossing a stream, then started our next ascent. Going cross country allowed us to overtake a couple of teams, then check in before the route took us to the top of Whernside, a height of 734metres, and the second of the Yorkshire Three Peaks in the route.

The most difficult part of the route was the descent down from Whernside, extremely steep and slippery, after being on your feet for so long, combined with the weight being carried, made this section particularly dangerous and slow. On reaching the bottom and the final admin point, the most Lanyard Trophy: “In the dark” demoralising bit was realising we still had the third of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, Ingleborough, to go, with some 500 Almost immediately from the start we were going uphill, metres of ascent to take on in the dark; although, perhaps the ascending Pen-y-Ghent. Unfortunately, like nearly all the dark actually helped as you could not see the top or how teams, we were in tab mode rather than nav mode at the steep the incline actually was. Scrambling up Inglebourough start, which meant we missed the turning, the cairn at the using a headtorch with a 40lb plus bergen is an experience peak of Pen-y-Ghent being the give-away that we had actually that none of us will forget in a hurry. From Ingleborough, the gone too far and adding on a couple of hundred metres in route took us into an area of shake holes known as Clapham distance and a fair few extra contours. This hit home how Bottoms, where a number of teams were, as the DS put it, important the navigation was and SSgt Dave Richies took navigationally challenged. However, with SSgt Richies in control of navigation at this point getting us quickly back on charge of the nav, we stayed on route, overtaking and helping track. His navigation was to prove key throughout the course. out other teams as we went along, before a number of teams Back on track both teams made it to the first checkpoint. For completing the final section along the Pennine Briddleway the next section we took a short cut by following a fence line came together and crossed the finish line some 21 ½ hours rather than sticking to paths which resulted in a rather steep and 40 odd miles after setting off. descent, with most people ending up sliding down rather than walking down. Back on more obvious paths we cut across the We managed to get a couple of hours sleep before breakfast moorlands to checkpoint two. Here the easy option was to and taking down our tents. Once the admin was sorted, we follow the main paths around but the quickest option was to had the prize giving parade, with a number of painful groans go direct across the moors and peat bogs. We chose the as everyone came to attention. The 37SR B team actually direct route saving a good couple of kilometres but it certainly placed second in the Reserve competition, a massive was not easy going with baby’s heads, streams and bog to achievement – well done. A special mention has to also go contend with, making it particularly hard going and everyone out to Sig Kiel Vaughan, who, despite being in a world of having to work together to get through this section. The pain, did not want to give up and kept going to the 30 mile reward at the end was the first admin stop where we were mark. His persistence was impressive to say the least. met by the CO and RSM handing out harribo, boosting morale. At this point the A team lost its first member to 64 SIGNAL SQUADRON injury. The remainder of the two teams continued on course making the next check point on Wold Fell, then heading back OC Maj McHenery down to the stunning Ribblehead viaduct. SSM WO2 (SSM) Howes

Well it’s a hello, goodbye and well done for this edition of the parish notes. Firstly a welcome to our new SPSI Eng, SSgt Williams. He’s fresh from a manic time at 30 Sigs but it’ll be a change of scenery rather than a change in pace that he’ll experience as he moves up to . Secondly, a massive farewell to WO1 Dave Marrison who has recently hung up his beret and boots after 28 years service with the TA and Army Reserve. Latterly the troop commander of Support Troop, he wasn’t always with the Corps and did many years with the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters before coming across to us. Thank you for your efforts and all of us in the Squadron wish you well for the future. Lastly, well done goes to Sig Jack Kirk of 887 () Troop for the recent completion of his Phase 1 training; now you’re a soldier you’d best hurry up and become a tradesman next! 37 Signal Regiment Lanyard Trophy Teams

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 65 Exercise GLOBAL CANTER 2: 24-26 July 2015 - by WO2 (SSM) Howes

This exercise was a continuation from the similarly named and themed Ex GLOBAL CANTER 1 back in June. It involved the ICS assets of the Sqn being deployed around Beckingham Training Area, . Meanwhile the command team ran the Sqn CP interspersed with ISOC training by OC33 Sqn with the other SCPs. To get there, the Sheffield assets first moved to Nottingham to link up with their white and green fleet convoys. Once these merged, the Squadron moved out in the respective convoys again (less the valiant G4 team who went on the advance party earlier in the day to take over the camp on behalf of the QM’s Department).

On arrival the Dets deployed immediately to their allocated ADE 2015: Vehicles on parade field locations and settled in. Although a building of opportunity would have been preferred, the nice wooded Monday was a slow start after the day before. The Yeoman area they found themselves in was sufficient for the purposes re-wrote the plan and we were quick to try it out. We soon of the exercise. managed to get it working. We completed the PACEX and deployed after lunch to initiate Ex LIVE STOCK CHALLENGE. The exercise MEL allowed troops to sequentially bring online The scenario for the Ex was an outbreak of foot and mouth various capabilities of the Squadron’s POPs (Points-of- disease. It was designed to prepare us for the Brigade Presence). For those of you not familiar with POPs, they exercise with the rest of 11 Signal & WM Brigade that was consist of a Communication Support Team (CST) equipped taking place the following week. The Regt was to provide with commercial off-the-shelf secure and non-secure kit, communications and support for 3 Royal Anglian and the civil twinned with a Bowman Det for use in the UK Ops authorities. The disease only affected cattle and was, environment. Worthy of note this weekend was the excellent therefore, no danger to humans. Strict control measures had progress made by Sig Jay Newman of 887 (Nottingham) been put in place to ensure the disease did not spread. Troop; he appears well versed in the dark arts of the CST and he has a willingness to share what he had learnt in the last The first exercise went pretty smoothly and I was surprised few weeks with others. Well done and keep it up! how much I had remembered from my training. My Det Comd decided it would be a good idea to break me in by putting me As well as testing and establishing the full range of POP on the night shift and see how I coped! After a rest and filling capabilities, the Dets and SCP got to practice their reports and my body with a truck load of caffeine, I prepared for a long returns procedures in readiness for the Annual Deployment night or two. After being moved around different locations Exercise that was rapidly approaching in September. It to test how efficiently we could set up and establish Comms, certainly blew off a few cobwebs and created a few Lessons we began to get in the swing of things as the first week drew Identified for consideration going forward. to an end. We arrived back at camp on the Friday and turned the Dets around ready to re-deploy for the second week. Exercise GLOBAL TOTAL 15 – Annual Deployment Exercise: 5-19 Sept 15 - by Sig Kirk There was an organised sports afternoon on the Saturday that included inter-squadron rounders, volleyball and a tug-of- ADE 2015 was a chance for a budding young Signaler such as war. It was all going well for the Sqn, bolstered by some of myself to gain some first-hand experience in operating a 54 Sqn’s personnel; we won our first game of rounders Bowman detachment in the field. Having only completed my against 33 Sqn and went on to play 50 Sqn at volleyball. We Communications Systems Operator’s course a week prior to unfortunately lost with only 3 points in it. Our only chance to being deployed, I thought this was a great opportunity to test win big was with the tug-of-war. Our team was surprisingly what I had learnt in training and apply that to a practical strong as we beat 33 Sqn in our first Pull and went on to the scenario. On the journey to Wretham Camp in STANTA, final Pull with 50 Sqn. They had a very heavy team and we morale was high as my anticipation of the exercise grew from had a very slim chance of winning. Unfortunately our better hearing stories of how great ADE was last year; when the technique wasn’t enough against the big northerners and we Squadron had deployed to Germany. It sounded great and I ended up on the losing side. With our egos damaged, we anticipated this year to be just as exciting, full of good laughs made our way to our buses and returned to camp. and “squaddie banter”. Obviously, developing my Bowman knowledge was top of my list of priorities but hopefully On the second exercise we were moved all over the southern Norfolk would also be “wunderbar” too! part of the country to different Army Reserve Centers; from Essex to Cambridge. The benefit of being in an urban We eventually arrived at around 12 o’clock on Saturday. The environment was that we were surrounded by shops and first thing I did was grab my kit and secured the best bed in takeaways. No more leak and potato soup from the ratpacks the block; next to a plug socket and in front of one of the four for us! We fully exploited our 50% discount at Dominos, windows. The aged Nissan huts had ten beds and only six although on a serious note it was more difficult from a lockers between us; some had doors to secure your things Comms point of view as we were operating over greater and others did not! I suppose I should have expected this distances. We did struggle at times to establish HF Comms from such an old camp but I suppose I was just a bit naive. because there was not enough real-estate to put up our preferred antennas. On one wet windy night in Cambridge, The next day consisted of a PACEX before we deployed on we spent around six hours trying every antenna in the book Exercise LIVE STOCK CHALLENGE. Everything was going great to establish Comms, only to find out that the HQ was working until we tried to set up COMBAT and found that the plan did on a different net! I thought to myself, “It wasn’t this not contain the correct maps to use with the GPS… Ooops! awkward in my training”. I was exhausted by the time I got The day was spent trying to get around this problem, but it back to camp at the end of it; full of greasy takeaways, but I was having none of it! We eventually went to dinner while had never been so happy to lie on the horrible green leather WO2 (YofS) Tharby finally sorted it out. mattresses they had in the block.

66 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 At the end of the final week the CO, Lt Col Downes, awarded various heights. Contrary to stereotypical northern-Welsh Regimental coins to reward selected personnel for the work weather, the sun shone all day with some Sqn members they had put in over the exercise. Sig Jay Newman wishing they’d applied more sun cream, however, the wind (Nottingham’s 887 Troop) was awarded one in recognition of also picked up in the afternoon making the waves became his efforts on the Squadron’s CSTs. Since the Sqn received increasingly choppy until finally becoming too forceful to them in late July/early August he has been all over them like a continue. The coasteering was excellent and the adrenaline rash. From a knowledge base of zero, he has quickly become boost of jumping from cliff faces over 15ft was enhanced by the go-to-guy in the Sqn for all things CST. Pity he’s joining the shock of hitting the cold sea. To add to this the waters the Regulars! were populated by swarms of compass jellyfish, so timing and good eyesight were required to avoid their painful sting 64 Sig Sqn Adventure Training to Anglesey: 7 - 9 August 2015 (shaving foam is a recommended antidote – who knew?). - by Sig Foster Notably, Cpl ‘TJ’ McMullen was involved in a treading water stand off before a flurry of paddles cleared the way for her. Over the weekend 7-9 August, 64 Sig Sqn deployed for a weekend of Adventure Training in Anglesey. The 190 mile trip With the Sea Kayaking and exploring done, a feast of a BBQ down to the campsite passed quickly from Nottingham and was delivered by Sgt ‘Bernie’ Burnside and WO2 Andy Sheffield and with the sun having set for the evening and no Medley. The temperature rapidly dropped during the meal lights on the campsite, the fact that the tents had already and after all the food was finished, the only reasonable course been set up proved a welcome relief. We were instantly of action was to take shelter inside. The Sqn united to show navigationally challenged and finding our way around a the other campers their exceptional skills on the campsite relatively small field into the right tent was unexpectedly club Saturday disco. Of particular merit was Cpl Dwayne difficult and non-tactical thankfully. In the morning, we split Browns romancing of the mature lady holiday makers, into two groups, one half sea kayaking and coasteering in the cumulating in the winning of a £4 dance off prize for charity. morning, while the others hiked along the stunning coastline On the final day all that was left to do was to break camp and (ending up on the beach to play some “friendly” “non- return to our units. Unfortunately the weather took revenge competitive” frisbee). The groups swapped over activities in and we all ended up wetter than the previous day spent on the afternoon. the coast. As a new member of the Sqn, currently under Phase 2 training, the weekend provided a good opportunity The waves certainly made the kayaking experience different for me and the other new members to bond with our Troops to being on a river or lake, but after a short practice period and to meet other Sqn personalities in a relaxed environment. we quickly got used to it and we made our way out to sea. I can’t wait to do some more AT in the future once I have Paddling from bay to bay we navigated to jumping points of completed my Phase 2 course.

39th SIGNAL REGIMENT BRISTOL

CO Lt Col N C Bruce Lt Col Bruce added: “I’m trying to ensure that my soldiers RSM WO1 (RSM) S Tomblin experience the best kind of training scenario, whether that be on a radio detachment or working in headquarters. So they Annual Deployment Exercise – by Capt Crilly (43 Sig Sqn), Sgt go through the analysis, come up with some courses of action Jennings (43 Sig Sqn) and Sig Boyle (53 Sig Sqn) and make a recommendation to me. We then take that course of action, with orders to prepare the detachments and Exercise HORSESHOE RESOLVE deploy personnel into the field to deliver an effective response. This is the culmination of a year’s training, and it is In September, soldiers and officers from 39 Signal Regiment’s our Reservists’ opportunity to prove to 2 Signal Group and Squadrons from Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cardiff and Windsor their commander that they are ready to respond in support of spent five days on Salisbury Plain engaged in a major exercise the UK operation, whatever that might be.” to test their response to ‘terrorist incidents’ sparking off around the country. The scenario also involved three other Royal Signals Reserve Regiments and was the prelude to a wider exercise, Ex FLYING FALCON 2015, with more than 1,000 Regular and Reserve soldiers in the Army’s largest annual communications exercise. This was part of the Regt’s primary role to provide vital communications support and information management to the Armed Forces, emergency services and local government agencies in times of crisis.

The commanding officer, Lt Col Nic Bruce, explained the significance of their training exercise: “From a Reservist perspective this is the key opportunity to rehearse our primary role in the Reserve. Although we conduct training throughout the year, our Reservists are not full-time, so this is the one opportunity we get to do that high level of collective training.” The scenario envisaged a terrorist attack around York followed by a further incident on the Severn Bridge. That immediately brought 39 Signal Regiment into the picture. Sgt Downs and Cpl Tier working on the BANTUM Satellite system to provide bearer support to the Reebok CIS Platform

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 67 The Regiment currently has over 260 Reservist officers and kit around before returning to work on Monday morning. soldiers based at locations all over the South of England and Such is the life of a Reservist! There were many great Wales. “They are volunteers, all hugely committed,” said Lt experiences and stories: LCpl Buckle decided to crash her Col Bruce. “And it is not just the two week deployment that kayak into the rocks, capsize and lose her glasses to the deep we ask them to do nowadays. We have had a raft of soldiers sea, whilst Sig Hooper, being the fitness fanatic he is, chose this year who have had to undertake courses, often lasting for to lead his coastal walking team a kilometre or two off the two weeks.” As the Regular personnel of 11 Signal Group beaten track. arrived for Ex FLYING FALCON 15, a fast-moving tactical scenario set in the fictitious country of Atropia, 39 Signal Regiment moved on to Penally Camp in Pembrokeshire for a week of military and adventurous training. I think it’s a sensible way of splitting up the two weeks. You first prove you can do your primary role. Then you enhance the military training before giving something back to the Reservists in terms of adventurous training opportunities and developing leadership and teamwork skills as well.”

Ranges

Following the field exercise, the Regiment relocated to Penally Camp in South Wales for the range package conducted on the gallery and ETR/SARTS range. All firers conducted grouping and zeroing shoots, completed LF 11-12 and then the Annual Close Combat Marksmanship Test (BCC), making the most of the great facilities at Penally to improve their marksmanship training. This was an all too rare opportunity to conduct core training on the weapon systems and something that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. LCpl Brownlees was awarded best shot for his perfect ACMT score and WO2 Dean was awarded a crisp £10 from OC 94 Sig Sqn, Maj Morris, for best group size; nevertheless, the OC remains WO2 Dean optimistic that one day he will beat . We will see. Sgt Downs and LCpl Beard lead the hill-walking

Congratulations and Thanks

Congratulations to Sig Burgoyne and LCpl Saunders for receiving this year’s Skinners Award in recognition of their efforts to embody life in the Reserves. Thanks must also go to Cpl Fox for providing fantastic food during the first phase of the exercise, and also helping to raise over £120 for a charity with whom Padre Stone works closely. Speaking of Padre Stone, he must own shares in Haribo given the amount of sweets he dished out during the exercise. And last but not least, thanks must go to the SPSI’s, SSgts Jennings, Joyce, James, Cooke and Williams for organising and coaching a fantastic range package, providing some great adventure training and for endeavouring to provide that all-important link between the Regular and Reserve to reinforce the ‘One Army’ ethos!

US Officer Exchange Visit – by Capt Crilly

Over the period of Ex HORSESHOE RESOLVE, 39 Signal Regiment was fortunate enough to host Capt Jonathan Key, a Company commander with 98th Expeditionary Signal Battalion based in Southern .

Capt Key, whose degree studies in mechanical engineering were funded by the US military as part of his six years’ service in the 40th Infantry Division of the California National Guard, LCpl Palmer demonstrates the perfect stance in the use of a works for a satellite systems manufacturer. “I spent four to Glock 17 five years training as an officer and gained my commission on the same day as I got my degree. After six years I switched Adventure Training over to the Reserves. I’ve since had a year-long deployment to Kosovo and a year ago I did eight months full-time Reserve Following the field and range elements of the exercise, the duty in Arizona. Regiment enjoyed a series of JSAT activities conducted amongst the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. All Capt Key’s C Company is around 125-strong, based in San members of the Regiment took part in activities including Diego. “I have soldiers who live in San Francisco, and who hillwalking, surf kayaking and climbing before recovering back drive all the way down, which takes around eight hours. But to their Squadron home bases. Bearing in mind that almost they come down the day before and we house them in a all of those deployed were Reservists, this meant turning the hotel. Our command is able to select one Reservist for the

68 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 exchange, through a selection board. It really depends on NSY were asked by the NT to attend the Living History Event your specialty. Because of my specialty I was offered to add a contemporary feel and to raise awareness to the Germany, UK and Denmark – and top of my list was the UK. It public that the NSY is still around today as 93 Support is about broadening your experience but also learning from Squadron, albeit our role has changed significantly from that the British Army, anything we can take back and maybe alter which Capt Gibbs would have fulfilled in 1915. The stand we the way we train. It’s also to build good relations – and keep displayed was interactive, informing people of the whole those relationships, especially among the Reserves, because history of the NSY, which formed in 1798. All who visited we fight more in theatre together than we used to in the were given the opportunity to communicate using a Bowman past. If I have to go overseas on operations the chances of platform assisted by LCpl Steve Appleton and LCpl Tom me working with people from the UK is pretty high.” Watson, or a VHF manpack under the watchful eye of Sig ‘Grifter’ Griffey. The light weapons on display also proved to Lets just hope that Capt Key enjoyed his rainy introduction to be a popular attraction with Cpl Ian Bailey and WO2 (SSM) Reservist life in the British Army as much as his exchange Rich Vise on hand to demonstrate and explain their partner, Sgt Matt Williamson, enjoyed his stint in the 40o employment. We had a wide range of cap badges and ranks heat of Southern Carolina! from the Sqn in attendance and they all enjoyed the interaction with the visitors, all of which were friendly and Living History Event, Tyntesfield – by WO2 (SSM) Vise above all engaging.

After a week of miserable weather the preparations to The NT was also keen to invite the NSY Association to this support the National Trust with their Living History Event was high profile Community Engagement event. The Trust kindly complete. The event was organised by WO1 (SVWO) Rich offered free admittance to the Association members and their Ayling to commemorate the centenary of the end of the families. Great War, but in particular to commemorate Captain Eustace Lyle Gibbs (1885 – 1915) who paid the ultimate sacrifice on 11th The NSY Association really got behind the event, with some February 1915 at a location near Ypres, and also the men of travelling quite a distance to attend. It was an ideal the estate who also served during the 1914 – 1918 war with opportunity for both the current Squadron members and the the North Somerset (NSY). Association to meet, share stories and above all laugh at the similarities of their experiences. After checking the weather forecast for the weekend, all were briefed to bring Gore-Tex, flasks and warm kit. Luckily the weather forecast for the Saturday was inaccurate and the sun was shining on the NSY and all who attended throughout the day.

Rightfully, the main focus of the event was for the visiting public to immerse themselves in history and they got the opportunity to meet the Officers and Tommies in the camp, convincingly played by the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. There were also a number of arena displays where the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and the Royal Flying Corps gave a number of thought provoking displays and presentations. These presentations always ended in a question and answer session: the children that were present really engaged and impressed all with a range of articulate questions.

The Royal Flying Corps displayed a Sopwith Pup, the plane on display having been found in a barn in Wiltshire back in the early 1970’s and had been painstakingly restored to a first- class condition. In itself, this is a great achievement but even more admirably, the intent is to get it back into the skies. Old and New: Sig ‘Grifter’ Griffey with a dismounted cavalryman

All military participants of the day

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 69 This was a thoroughly enjoyable day to be part of and was immaculate turnout and bearing today would have made enjoyed by the many hundreds that attended. It was a golden them both proud. For me it was a wonderful opportunity to opportunity to show off the NSY Squadron and inform the reflect over the last 3 years commanding the Berkshire public, young and old, of our modern day role and how it has Yeomanry and finish on an absolute high.” developed since the unit’s inception. It also gave the opportunity for people to reflect on scale of sacrifice that was Brig Tony Verey QVRM TD DL, Squadron Honorary Colonel of the First World War. 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron said, “I really appreciate the hard work and effort made by those on A Brief History of Eustace Lyle Gibbs parade. The parade looked and sounded excellent. I was particularly proud of the Squadron and have heard nothing Eustace Lyle was the sixth son of Antony and Janet, the but complimentary remarks about them.” second generation of Gibbs to reside at Tyntesfield. He was educated at Eton (1889 – 1903) followed by Magdalen College Recruiting - The NHS Challenge – by SSgt Herbie Hyde Oxford, where he distinguished himself on the cricket field. After commissioning into the NSY in 1906, Eustace was The NHS challenge is an event organised by 243 Field Hospital promoted to Lieutenant in 1909 and then Captain in 1914. He in Keynsham, Bristol and run at Okehampton Training Camp served in Belgium from October 1914 until his death in 1915. on Dartmoor. Hospitals from across the South West entered teams of up to eight people from all types of NHS roles Alongside climbing the ranks in the NSY, Eustace also had a including surgeons, consultants and human resource staff. promising career in the family business, Antony Gibbs and Sons, where he gained the position of ‘Manager of Operations The event brought together elements of the Reserve Forces – Chile’ in 1911. In 1911 he was transferred to New York to from the South West to provide stands based on each unit’s work for the firm before returning to Britain at the outbreak role but with a medical twist to showcase the Reserve Forces of war in the summer 1914. and provide a competition for the NHS staff. These consisted of ‘care under fire’, ambulance recovery, obstacle course, The Potts Memorial – by Capt Saunders whilst the Army Air Corps provided a helicopter-marshalling stand notably with no aircraft but with someone wearing a Fredrick Owen Potts was awarded the Victoria Cross in helmet and a model helicopter stuck on to it! Full marks for October 1915, after endangering his own life to drag a inventiveness. wounded comrade from the battlefield at the Battle of Scimitar Hill. On 4 October 2015, a sculpture was unveiled 39 Signal Regiment’s stand consisted of a mine taped area commemorating Reading’s only Victoria Cross winner, outside containing the constituent parts of a 5.4m mast with parts of Forbury Gardens, Reading. a ‘9 liner’ medevac attached. Each team was then briefed that they had been mortared and their mission was to rebuild In October 1915, Trooper Potts of the Berkshire Yeomanry the mast in order to transmit the ‘9 liner’. The task would took part in the Battle of Scimitar Hill, as part of the wider have been straightforward enough but they were further Gallipoli campaign. During the assault onto the objective, informed that half of the section was visually impaired using Trooper Potts and his peers were met with withering machine blacked out goggles whilst the other half had lost the use of gun fire. Injured in the thigh and pinned down under intense their legs. The visually impaired were the only section Turkish fire, Trooper Potts located a friend from the Berkshire members allowed into the mined taped area and would have Yeomanry, Arthur Andrews, who was severely injured and to rely on instructions from the other half who were only unable to move. In spite of his own wounds, Trooper Potts allowed to leopard crawl around the perimeter. Each team, placed himself in extreme danger to rescue his injured having first received a unit brief from the Regimental colleague, using a shovel to drag him over 600 yards to Operations Support Officer (ROSO) Capt Lloyd Bath, safety. It took over 48 hours to achieve this feat, such was approached the task with great humour and enthusiasm. the terrain in combination with almost constant harassing fire. Some even tried to bribe the Regimental Operations Support For his courage and bravery in the face of the enemy, Trooper Warrant Officer (ROSWO) WO2 Andy Dawson with Haribo to Potts was awarded the Victoria Cross. gain extra points. The bribery did not work but there is a chance that SSgt Herbie Hyde gained a few extra pounds over the weekend.

Everyone involved in the event, from competitors to event staff, left feeling very positive that the Army Reserve had conducted itself to the highest standards of professionalism with the Reserve offer message definitely being spread.

Old: The ‘Hero with the Shovel’, Trooper Potts VC with the Berkshire Yeomanry as they are today

Maj Harris, OC 94 Sig Sqn, said, “Today was a fabulous day for the Berkshire Yeomanry and Reading Town to be able to support their hero with the shovel, Trooper Fred Potts VC. The weather was glorious, the atmosphere suitably appropriate and the event just perfect. This was a commemoration, not just reflecting the sombre nature of the Gallipoli campaign, but also celebrating the heroic nature of Fred Potts’ selfless commitment to his comrade Arthur Andrews; a value reflected in today’s Squadron, whose RUUUUUUNNNN!!!!

70 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 71st (CITY OF LONDON) YEOMANRY SIGNAL REGIMENT BEXLEYHEATH

CO Lt Col HJ Scott MBE 265 (KENT & COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY RSM WO1 (RSM) P Robertson (SHARPSHOOTERS)) SUPPORT SQUADRON

Lanyard Trophy 2015 - by Sig Vigor OC Capt Mackay SSM SSgt Griffiths Under the control and guidance of SSgt Allan the Regiment SPSI SSgt Donaldson MBE entered a team into the 2015 Lanyard Trophy Competition. The team members were drawn from across the Regiment: Exercise PHOENIX FOCUS 15 – Annual Deployment Exercise WO1 (SVWO) Keeble, SSgt Allan, Sgt Nugent, Cpl Crumpton- 2015 Taylor, LCpl Duro, Sig Vigor, LCpl Fox, Sig Asamoah, Sig Okafor and Sig Teslenko. Prior to taking part in the event and September saw the Regiment and 265 Support Squadron’s in preparation for the competition the team conducted build- busiest month of the year with the Annual Deployment up training consisting of 4 weekend camps. Stamina and the Exercise based in Wathgill, utilising training areas around carriage of weight well in excess of the Reserve AFT were Warcop and Catterick, for a 5 day UK operations scenario developed until the team was confident to tackle the driven by 2 Sig Gp. This was followed by the Regiment’s own competition. 5 day tactical communications exercise phase. For the first time we had a Regular contingent of attached personnel from The competition kicked off with a mass start at 0530hrs, with our paired Regiment, 3 Sig Regt, with support from 103 Bn all teams setting off into the darkness with rain pelting down. REME and further support from 10 Sig Regt. The rain continued for 9 hours, finally allowing some brief sunshine before the clouds blotted out the sun once more, by Suitably refreshed after a good night’s sleep on beds that which time some of the team’s gortex boots had filled with so should have been in the Hilton and showers that involve much water from the rain that the water level inside the boot having to be spread eagled against the walls to get wet, was up to their ankles. Despite this myriad of poor conditions Sunday was a mixture of testing and pre-deployment checks. morale stayed high in the team, helped by the uplifting 265 Sp Sqn set up the A2 Echelon at Wathgill in preparation to motivational comments of the teams resident PTI Cpl support the Regiment. Our FFR crew of Sgt Sutton assisted Crumpton-Taylor, which usually consisted of “Don’t **** Stop by Cpls Broadbent, Crane and Harries soon had the and **** Keep Going!”. Another uplifting part of the day Detachment set up with the Vodafone reliant CST equipment were the three admin stops where the RSM, WO1 (RSM) looking menacing in the corner. Routine is the key to any Robertson, smiled and gave encouragement which made us exercise; fortunately we had the numbers to allow this. As all deeply uncomfortable whilst the CO, Lt Col Scott MBE, ran the exercise developed 265 Sp Sqn practiced our real life role about getting the team cups of tea and coffee in between resupplying rations and fuel to deployed elements. SSgt helping them with their bergens and producing what seemed Eastley, Sgt Osho and Pte Turner were always busy, especially like an endless supply of muffins from his pockets. All felt when presented with their first case of suspected D&V at better for it and the breaks in the day. 0630hrs on day 1!

However, all those happy voices and smiles were not to last With the UK operations phase drawing to a close, 265 Sp Sqn through as the last ten miles would prove to be the hardest. departed early to Warcop Moor House Farm in preparation to As we summited the final peak and with the light fading LCpl receive the Regiment for the tactical phase. Catering was Duro developed cramp in his legs which caused him to provided by our very own chefs, SSgt Taylor and Pte struggle on the ascent and Sig Vigor’s feet began to break Burbridge. We detached our FFR crews to other squadrons apart, however we pushed on through the pain. The team with A2 Ech and RHQ operated by augmentees from 3 Sig slogged on and under cover of darkness we crossed the finish Regt. Many thanks to Cpl Clarke and his team for showing us line to claim third place for the Army Reserves. Most swore how it’s done – despite being obscured by Sig Knight’s man- never to do Lanyard again and some meant it. Special thanks pack sized vaping kit, LCpl Smith talking like he was belt-fed, go to SSgt Allan for organising all the training and motivating so much so he needed sub-titles and Cpl Culliford for the team throughout. educating the REME in how to fix a generator! Our would be aggressors of The Cumbrian Liberation Front – who bore a striking resemblance to WO1 (RSM) Robertson, SPSIs and other permanent staff such as the QM, Capt Frank Greenwood - proved no match for the destructive fighting prowess of the Regiment’s soldiers or the threat of internment at Moor House Farm for use as pan bash, and soon crumbled. All too soon it was all over and time for another 265 Support Squadron reconstitution plan to be initiated.

The next phase was the eagerly awaited CO’s Challenge Competition, very kindly funded by The Worshipful Company of Drapers and organised by SSgt Don Donaldson MBE. The Squadron was split into two teams to take part in events such as Segway driving, buggy driving with slick tyres on wet grass (interesting) and an equally uncontrollable dual engine and crewed contraption where one driver controls a two position throttle (fully on or off) and the other driver is supposed to control the other. All that remained of ADE was a Sports and

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 71 Visitors day, 265 Sp Sqn again showing they are a force to be year saw the Squadron head up to the distant lands of reckoned with on a sports pitch – providing it is Tug-o’-War Cumbria for a multiphase exercise with aspects of UK Ops, coached by our secret weapon PSAO Capt Slaney. The tactical CIS, AT and all the normal supporting activities. Squadron team finished top in the 5-a-side football competition, comfortably pushing aside all opposition, Whilst the highlight of ADE certainly wasn’t the drive up (Capt however our volley-ballers were appalling! Roberts, the Sqn 2IC, certainly will agree with that), which felt like it was lasting eons even before we left the Army Reserve CIOR Young Reserve Officers Workshop, Sofia, Bulgaria Centre in Uxbridge, nor the subsequent mammoth convoy the - by Capt Cooper Regt briefly formed on the M1 before packet discipline reasserted itself. August saw 265 Sp Sqn Ops Officer Capt Khushru Cooper travel to Bulgaria to attend the CIOR Young Reserve Officer’s It was without doubt pleasing to eventually arrive at Wathgill Workshop (YROW) as 2IC of the UK delegation. Run in Camp and realise that we actually had all the vehicles and all parallel to a number of larger conferences, YROW is a 5 day the right people in the right place. What followed remains a workshop attended by tri-Service Reserve Officers from all blur to at least me, and probably much of the Squadron. The NATO member states and is designed to introduce Junior Haz-Mat training delivered by the SQMS, SSgt Cooper, Officers to working at NATO at a strategic level. YROW has probably joins other horrors that most of us would rather blot been designed to provide the unique opportunity to out! Unusually, despite the normal Army weather forecast of experience the challenges of working in close quarters with decidedly wet, it appeared that luck was our side, especially members of the armed forces of foreign NATO and Partners both during the long plug-up prior to deployment, the sun for Peace (PfP) states. stayed out leading to morale (apart from those whom were still recovering from Haz-Mat training) remaining high. The highlights of a busy programme included a NATO planning simulation, where the opportunity to simulate the On the Sunday evening following arrival the Sqn, deployed complex steps and processes that NATO undertake prior to outwards to Warcop minus all attached arms though engaging in military action was afforded, and a negotiation augmented by three personnel from 3 Sig Regt – the exercise where candidates were given a seat at the top table Regiment’s sister Regiment in the form of LCpl Sutherland, to exercise their powers of diplomacy in a volatile scenario. Sig Hewson and Sig Lombardi. Warcop proved to be an The UK continued to uphold its high standards, with over 90% exciting venue for establishing the normal paraphernalia of obtaining recognition with NATO certification in LOAC. The UK operations communications, notwithstanding the various congress was bought to a close with the much anticipated challenges of limited real estate, noise restrictions (for the gala dinner; an opportunity for all ranks to unwind over good generator) and perhaps the bizarre location of a disused bar food and admire the dress uniforms from around NATO. complete with table football and pool table being the site of the SHQ. Nonetheless the Squadron rose to the challenge of It is without doubt one of the hidden gems available to those this, with Sgt Pat Coleman being particularly ingenious of the ranks of 2Lt to Capt, and comes highly recommended through utilisation of a BT Phone box to elevate the BGAN… by those past and present who have attended. It is run and supported from the UK by the Reserve Forces Association, The UK operations phase continued apace, with numerous and applications for next year are now welcomed. moves seemingly taking the Sqn across the training area, though pleasingly efforts to achieve connectivity with the Strategic HF network across the country were met in

Capt ‘Khush’ Cooper and fellow officers from the workshop

31 (MIDDLESEX YEOMANRY AND PRINCESS LOUISE’S KENSINGTON) SIGNAL SQUADRON

OC Maj Curtis-Rouse SSM WO2 (SSM) May

The beat up of the summer exercises lead as always to the preparation for Annual Deployment Exercise ADE) (it now almost sounds familiar as a term to replace annual camp) and then the subsequent deployment on ADE. Not perhaps as exciting as the drive to Germany as the previous year, this OCdt Coates prepares a map brief for the CO

72 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 particular by Cpl Paulino whose unrelenting fixation with It was an extremely well organised and enjoyable trip and it getting as many call signs as possible accounted for led to would be remiss of me not to mention Hermann who looked some far away conversations with the other regiments; after us all so well. The spirit of the Freundschaft has been though what the content of the conversations were will kept very much alive and for those of us who had not visited remain a mystery to us all. Backnang before, it was a rewarding weekend giving everyone an insight into the town and in particular the way 36 (ESSEX YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON the German reservist works.

36 Sig Sqn 25th Anniversary Freundschaft (Germany) - by Capt Jim Swain

2015 is the 25th Anniversary of the twinning of Chelmsford with town of Backnang in Southern Germany. From the start of this link there has been an association with the military, the original tie being formed by 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron in 1991 with the friendship developed over the years by 36 Signal Regiment. A small contingent of officers, SNCO s and soldiers from 36 Sig Sqn was invited to Backnang by the German Reservist Association over the weekend 11-13 September to commemorate this anniversary. We were joined by a few of our Association members including Maj Ken Lloyd who as OC of 70 (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron had initiated the partnership some 24 years earlier.

The 25th Anniversary Freundschaft began with an informal reception in the Backnang Reservist Club where we were made to feel extremely welcome by our hosts. We had a restrained evening given our early start to travel to Germany that day, although Cpl Denton and Sig Alston did their best to strengthen Anglo-German ties!

Saturday began with the first of our official engagements, Lt Mitchell chats with Gen Graf von Stauffenberg when we were involved in a flag raising ceremony and formal welcoming. We were welcomed by Gen Berthold Schenk Graf ADE 2015 - by Sig Martin Byrne von Stauffenberg, those familiar with the story of the film “Valkyrie” will recognise the name as it was indeed his father The two weeks of ADE 2015 began with a long road trip from who was behind the failed plot to assassinate Hitler. Gen Graf the South up the A1/M1, around seven hours, to Wathgill von Stauffenberg had a full career in the German Army which Camp near Catterick, N Yorkshire. The weather was fine for included a few years in the UK at Camberley. He retired from the journey, as it proved to be (mostly!) for the entire the Army in 1994 and continues to represent German fortnight. After refuelling and a briefing we were gratefully Reservists. assigned our rooms, complete with the rubber mattresses that seem the height of luxury when one is out in the field.

The first Sunday involved the detachments from the various squadrons deploying into the field for the first part, Ex HORSESHOE RESOLVE, the non-tactical phase of ADE. We were joined at this point by our brave, masochistic colleagues who had taken part in Lanyard trophy. Sgt Nugent and LCpl Duro were sore but ready for action after a nice sleep! This was a chance for all detachments to deploy in the field and get up to scratch on the comms side of things. It was helpful having a few Regulars alongside, volunteers from 3 Signal Regiment.

Being located in in one place, and co-deployed with another Det, was certainly a luxury that was possibly only appreciated during the latter, tactical phase of the fortnight. It allowed all squadrons to iron out any problems encountered when attempting to achieve communications.

We were transported to Warcop in Cumbria for the tactical The Squadron contingent at the flag raising ceremony phase of the exercise, but there was little time to appreciate the beautiful scenery, as it required a lot of hard work to set This was followed by a welcoming reception hosted by the up detachments in a way that would make them difficult to Mayor of Backnang who was keen to point out that we had detect but relatively easy to defend against our enemy, the managed to organise a celebration of the link between fictional Cumbrian separatists. Chelmsford and Backnang before the Mayor of Chelmsford. Saturday continued with a guided tour of Backnang before Sentries had to be alert to the dangers of out-and-out returning to the Reservist Club for a supper night with our aggressors, as well as disgruntled ‘locals’, who were angry at hosts. The weekend concluded when we joined our German the Government, and the security forces, and were feeling Reservist friends at a chapel in Backnang Cemetery dedicated hard done by. For instance, “Nicholas Cage”, from “Coxville”, to the fallen in both World Wars. During a short simple came looking for food for his family. Aggressive and remembrance service both contingents laid wreaths. demanding at first, he was soon calmed down with the

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 73 promise of some nice ORP’s to tide him over! Later visitors day communications exercise, split between a UK Ops task (in were not so reasonable, with several attacks at night keeping support of the wider 2 Sig Gp exercise) and then a tactical us on our toes. What with the constant effort to defend communications exercise. ourselves from attack, and the need to ‘tear down’ and then relocate within every 24-hour period, the tiredness began to The UK Ops exercise was made infinitely more difficult by the take effect, and everybody was grateful for any sleep fact that the area had no Vodafone signal whatsoever and the possible. buildings of opportunity we were using had no telephone lines. This meant that the Squadron truly learnt the meaning So we were all very happy when we were ordered to pack our of the phrase of ‘fighting for comms’ as even the simplest of gear for the final time and head back to Wathgill. Having an tasks became harder. For example, the Squadron CP evening to ourselves helped us relax and meant we were Command Support Team (CST) detachment commander, Sig ready for the fun days! It was off to Camp Hill on Wednesday, Hawkins, found that establishing a VTC connection back to to take part, in teams of six, in a variety of activities. The the ISOC was the easy part – tracking down the OC at short tasks were varied, including a Segway course, two-man karts, notice to tell her that she needed to be on the VTC without raft building and the legendary Leap of Faith. The raft any mobile comms was the hard task! There has never been a building was a particular challenge, and left few people dry, Squadron happier to deploy out to a field location than 68 Sig and most participants positively drenched, as outwardly Sqn, even if it was mostly due to the fact that all personnel robust-looking craft disintegrated once on the water. 36 felt the need to get back in touch with the outside world Squadron, with their two teams finishing first and third, were through the medium of Facebook and Whatsapp! announced the winners of the CO’s Challenge Trophy. For the tactical comms phase, we deployed to Warcop This announcement was made on Thursday at the end of the Training Area and by this point, everyone was itching to get Regimental sports competition. There were three sports; out on the ground and get cammed up. A very thorough RSOI football, volleyball, and tug of war. With 265 Sp Sqn winning package was conducted prior to the deployment from the tug of war and the football final, they were announced Moorhouse Farm, which saw personnel put through their the winners overall. The volleyball was won by a 36 Sqn paces in terms of anti-ambush drills, patrolling and defence of team, which included three ex-Gurkhas. If volleyball isn’t the a comms site. With this knowledge fully imparted, the Nepalese already, then it should be! WO2 Pun Squadron deployed out to our locations and set about in particular was impressive, and won the prize for best player instilling the practice of ‘Comms, Cam, Comfort’ in all our overall. The evening saw the officers and SNCO’s go to a personnel. Some members of the Squadron got into the country pub for their dinner night, whilst the other ranks offensive spirit a little too eagerly, with Sig Okafor roughing were provided with a barbecue and a few beers. up one of the OPFOR team, our SPSI, SSgt Smith, a bit too keenly during a vehicle ambush. We are under strict This left us with Friday on which to have the Regimental instructions not to publish any of the photos in The Wire, but I photograph taken. The impressive Richmond castle was used am sure they can be provided in exchange for a beer or two! as the backdrop for the photo, and even allowed us to have a Most of the OPFOR activity around the Squadron CP seemed few moments looking around this ancient building, before to happen whilst the OC and SSM were away at orders having the Regimental parade. groups, which was unfortunate but clearly intended! We are pleased to report that the rest of the Squadron command And so Saturday saw us departing Wathgill to make the long team stepped into the breach very well in their absence, led journey south to our respective ARC’s, and awaiting our by the acting Sqn 2IC for the exercise, WO2 Paton. copies of the Regimental photo to remind us of ADE 2015. Once the tactical comms phase was over, the Squadron 68 (INNS OF COURT & CITY YEOMANRY) SIGNAL SQUADRON re-deployed back to Wathgill with the rest of the Regiment. Thereafter followed several days with slightly less intensity OC Maj Trevelion and a chance for everyone to relax a little and enjoy SSM WO2 (SSM) Cullumbine themselves. The Squadron put in a good showing on both the team building CO’s Challenge Cup days and also at the The Squadron has taken great pleasure in having two Regimental sports competition, with our secret weapon on promotions from SSgt to WO2 since the last edition of The the football team, Sig Cooper, managing to take out the RAO Wire. The first to WO2 Tear who has taken up post as a and incur a pause in proceedings for a few seconds whilst all Squadron Supervisor. The second to our new SSM, WO2 the spectators and competitors laughed. Although we didn’t Cullumbine, who managed to be the only person in the win any of the team prizes, a good effort was shown by all Squadron to miss her own promotion parade, such was the and Sig Okafor won the individual football award as the secrecy surrounding the purpose of the event! Many team’s goalkeeper, for stopping a penalty with his face and congratulations to them both. WO2 Paton has now breaking his glasses in the process. Following the end of the relinquished his position as SSM after a significant stint and Regimental phase, the Squadron moved south back to moves across to Romford to assist 2Lt Haron in establishing , where the OC cooked everyone dinner (surely the Troop there for a short period. this is turning into a new tradition?!) and the SSM and OC handed out some silly prizes for effort and overall amusement Our main focus in August was the equipment maintenance over the whole of ADE. All in all, a good fortnight and we and preparation phase and then deployment in September on now look forward to moving into the ceremonial phase of the the Regimental Annual Deployment Exercise to Wathgill. ADE year, with horse riding training for the Lord Mayor’s Show on this year consisted of the road move north, followed by a ten 14 Nov now fully underway.

74 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 NEWS FROM SQUADRONS/TROOPS

16 AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS AND SIGNAL SQUADRON (216)

OC Maj AJ Nicklin We would like say a fond farewell to SSgt Jase Cooper, Cpl 2IC Maj RP Hammond ‘Serbs’ Serbert, Cpl Kev Ellis and Sig ‘Morale’ Mckoy RSM WO1 (RSM) NG Marshall RLS for the Caythorpe Airborne Reunion – by LCpl Jacob The Sqn would like to wish a fond farewell to Maj Graham Clarke, thank him for all the hard work he put into the Sqn Departing a little later than expected, the RLS moved swiftly and wish him all the best for the future. Maj Clarke’s grand towards Caythorpe Village (via Bicester to collect the swansong was Lanyard………the less said on this the better; enormous amount of tents required for this year’s Lanyard but we now have a Tp Comd (no names - Lt Landon) for sale if Trophy). Only the finest Convoy drills were used, with Sgt anyone wants one? Claire White leading the way.

The Sqn was officially handed over to Maj Andy Nicklin on 17 On arrival, we quickly located the closest pub to use as a September. We look forward to his reign and wish him all the ‘Headquarters’. As the sun rose the following morning, the success with the Sqn; after all we are the only Independent fresh faced members of 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron RLS Parachute Signal Squadron. Airborne! team began the task of setting up the Squadron sleeps and cookhouse. A TROOP With the set up quickly out the way, with minimal hiccups, the OC Lt Rowan Landon RLS had ample time to enjoy themselves and enjoy the SSgt SSgt Christopher Ansell weekend celebrating the Squadron’s rich history. Before we Sgt Sgt Scott Nelson knew it, it was time to reorganise the equipment, and prepare to move to the Yorkshire Dales for Lanyard Trophy 2015. Alpha Troop has had a busy summer this year, alongside all the usual RAATs and trawls the Troop also managed to Caythorpe Airborne Reunion – by Sig Paul Clifford resource most of the Lanyard team (Sig ‘Mountain Goat’ Lewis, your transfer paper work from Bravo Troop is going The 4th of September marked the anniversary of the through now). Following a few recruiting trips to Blandford Caythorpe remembrance weekend. The weekend and Sandhurst it was straight back onto exercise. With some commemorates those who are and have served as Parachute of the lads already on exercise in Kenya and completing Signallers or Airborne Soldiers in years gone by and allows interoperability work with the French (in the UK) – Sgt Nelson them to get a look at what the future holds for the Airborne was the only man not on a tasking and therefore managed to Signals. get his French wings. This October is already shaping up to be tough, especially if you’re Sig Morgan and are currently This year’s event, like many previous, included servicemen balancing a French dictionary in one hand and trying to carry who had been involved in Op MARKET GARDEN, the battle for the attached Liaison Officer’s kit in the other. But more on Ex the bridges of Arnhem (1944). It was then that the 1st EAGLES AMARANTE next month Airborne Signals Regiment was formed, containing 450 men.

B TROOP Why Caythorpe?

OC Lt Charlie Dorling Caythorpe was the birthplace of the 1st Signal Regiment. SSgt SSgt Martin Corbett Training took place here for the men prior to deployment. Sgt Sgt Sean Bowden The village hall you see now in Caythorpe was a NAAFI and blacksmiths. After the war a few of the survivors visited MST Troop has had a couple of weeks to reflect on Ex Caythorpe on the anniversary of Op MARKET GARDEN. The BRAVOS DUST OFF and has filled this time brushing up on our first service was held at the local church to remember lost communications knowledge. We welcome Sig Doherty to the comrades, and has been a key event on the calendar ever Troop straight from Blandford and hope to see him on P-Coy since. soon. The Troop has just completed its build up training for LFTT in Sennybridge and we look forward to an intense week 216 (Parachute) Signal Squadron are the rightful hosts of the on the ranges. weekend, and this year’s event did not fail to impress. The Saturday was a key chance for the Squadron to show face and SUPPORT TROOP impress the locals, with all elements setting up stalls to raise money for charity. A Tp set up a stand and B Tp an OC Capt Kev Read obstacle course. Members of the Sqn played a friendly RQMS WO2 Emma Stainer football match against the local side, and unfortunately lost 3-1, although I think the after effects of the night before may Support Troop is currently supporting Ex EAGLE’S AMARANTE have had an effect on the Sqn’s performance!!! A great day and as ever barely has a minute to stand still. However we was had by all. All members and veterans attended the would like to welcome LCpl Dan Jacob and Sig Matt Hehir to annual Caythorpe dinner night, hosted by B Tp. the Troop; stand by for a busy time gents.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 75 Exercise CAYTHORPE VELO 2015 – by Cpl ‘Doris’ Day

On 4 August a team from the technical workshops set out to travel from Colchester to Caythorpe village. This was not just merely the normal movement of personnel from Merville Barracks to the Annual Airborne Signals Reunion weekend. Instead it involved a two day bike ride, covering over 140 miles, in aid of the PRI charity and ABF. Whilst delivering a message from the Bde DCOS to be read by the OC at Saturday’s formal dinner. Whilst this may seem quite sedate for a charity event the bike being ridden was a BSA Airborne folding bike and the rider wearing authentic WW2 battle dress.

The plan was simple; SSgt Bird would cycle the entire route on the BSA bike wearing battle dress, LCpl McNiell would accompany on his road bike, Sgt Gill and the remainder would stop at all major towns en route collecting for charity before both riders passed through.

Day 1 went well and the ride finished at Downham Market, the Current and retired Squadron members remember the fallen UK weather being kind to all involved. Transport then took the riders back to Bodney Camp for an overnight stay and some well deserved food. Sunday morning marked the remembrance parade of those who have served before us. The service was hosted at the Day 2 started a little wet but the riders went back to famous St. Vincent’s church, well known as the spiritual home Downham Market to commence the second leg. This would of 216 Parachute Signals. It is here that every year, Arnhem see them ride through Norfolk and finish at Caythorpe village veterans and signallers alike can unite to give praise and green around midday. Unfortunately no one planned for the thanks to previous members. head wind that would be present all day. SSgt Bird was somewhat worse for wear by the end and in need of a well deserved pint.

Still showing airborne spirit the riders pushed on arriving at the village a little after 1400hrs. This was greeted by all available, clapping the team onto the village green. The message from the DCOS was then presented to the Bde RSM, WO1 Niall Marshall.

Message delivered safely to 16 Bde RSM

Arnhem Weekend 2015 – by Sig Nunn

Every year representatives from 216 (Para) Sig Sqn go to Arnhem to pay respect to the fallen heroes of Op MARKET GARDEN. Sgt Gill, Cpl Heydon, Sig Nunn and Sig Brewster departed on 14 September from Merville Barracks to Harskamp in the Netherlands. We arrived early Tuesday morning and the weather was already looking bleak for parachuting. That night Cpl Heydon began his Dutch ground training as he was selected to jump with them, whilst the rest The Stained Glass window at St Vincent’s Church of us conducted a recce of the camp for the boozer.

76 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Unfortunately parachuting was cancelled in the morning due Smailes-Peart who wrapped on the first mile of the first TAB! to bad weather, so after getting up at 0500 for no particular Bearing in mind these are the men of 216 (Parachute) Signal reason Cpl Heydon was taken to the national war museum Squadron, some of the fittest men in the Corp, all have the instead. Sgt Gill, Sig Nunn and Sig Brewster were on the aim to get to the next stage of training and to be selected to Battlefield tour of Arnhem which visited various memorials be part of the notorious 216 Lanyard Team. around the area. After we had all finished the tours for the day we were all told we would jump the next day, so had to Fourteen men made it to the next stage of training. The first partake in some ground training. After ground training we all day has a sting in the tail. It’s the first time as a team that headed to the bar for the Airborne social with the different we’ve left the flat plains of Essex and the Welsh hills soon Airborne forces from around the world and had a few start punishing muscles that are not used to going up hill. It beverages. The next day we all woke ready to jump, isn’t helped by the infamous Welsh weather. In all my life I unfortunately yet again the weather wasn’t on our side and have never witnessed water flowing uphill and clag so thick the jumps were cancelled. you would lose sight of the man in front of you if he went further than ten feet away. This took its toll on a few of the After travelling back from the airfield we got back onto camp lads, Sig Cargoe couldn’t manage to stay on his feet and for a and we were told that the weather was looking good for lot of the time resembled a toddler trying to grasp the idea of tomorrow so again we re-took our ground training. The next walking for the first time. Sgt ‘I’m taking a holiday’ Nelson morning we were up bright and early at 0500 for the suffered the effects of the cold weather after his return from parachute drop and following breakfast we proceeded to the ‘having’ to go on a sun, sea and sand holiday with the family! transport. Today the weather was favourable and I and Sig The good days in the hills, although rare, were much Brewster earned our German Wings. Airborne! appreciated even though it only meant we could cover distances faster which for Cpl ‘Smoke Break’ Monaghan Lanyard Trophy 15 RLS – by LCpl Jacob meant less ‘smoke breaks’ for check navs! People also started to find their tabbing legs and Sig ‘The Mountain Goat’ Lewis A glorious morning in the Yorkshire Dales was complimented quite rightly earned his name as soon as the gradient started by the sound of tent poles and angles clashing together. to increase. Where as others like Sig ‘Tats’ Russell would clear off at a pace Usain Bolt on steroids would be proud of, By now, the RLS were experts in tentage, so it will come to no as soon as a down hill was in sight, as for LCpl ‘Half a TAB’ surprise to find out that not only the 32 sleeps, but various Oosthuizen the comforts of the red mini bus just seemed too other tents were put up in a matter of days. All members of tempting. the Squadron put in a lot of effort to ensure that the campsite was ready for competitors. As many people know navigation is a big part of Lanyard and the race can be won or lost on a single nav error. Luckily for the team we were in the capable hands of Cpl ‘The Carrier’ Milson and although 99% of the time he was pretty dead on, some of the routes were slightly unpopular, especially when he decided the best way to get back on route was … to veer off a cliff. “No, it’s definitely that way we go” after a few stunned looks at each other we followed him blindly into what can only be described as an overgrown ravine. Needless to say it’s difficult climbing down a vertical slope with a bergan, and half an hour later men were still lost amongst the foliage; we called this Op CERTAIN DEATH!

I would be lying if I said training took up all our time while we were in Wales. A few of us even managed to find a new love for yoga and some even becoming known as the human pretzel and Sgt Nelson would even crack a smile when yoga was mentioned. On rest days a few hours were spent in Starbucks and Sig ‘The Gurner’ Morgan would use every opportunity to show his skills in chatting up the opposite sex, even if they were selling bibles and had no way of escaping. Welcome to tent city! Not only that but when the green light was given for a Team night out the opportunity to dress up was too appealing. A Sig 'Matt' Hehir and Sig 'erm' Wilson made sure the campsite Hawaiian theme was agreed. Colourful Hawaiian shirts, floral did, in no way, resemble a Sunday night at Glastonbury with necklaces were bought and a full sized banana suit for Lt ‘The their fine litter picking skills. A special thanks must go to 10, 11 Fresh Prince’ Landon. A prime example of being jacked on and 2 Sigs for their help with supplying extra tents for the when you ask someone to get your fancy dress. Needless to Corps event. A huge thanks to all the teams that helped say it was an eventful night out and a long train journey back dismantle their tents on the Sunday morning. It made our job to Cardiff for one of the team. I can safely say that the men a lot easier. were sad to leave Cardiff behind and LCpl ‘The Banshee’ Richards took it especially badly as he’d made firm friends Lanyard Trophy Team – by Sig Jones with Shenkin, a very handsome looking goat.

Talk of the Lanyard Trophy event usually starts right after the The Lanyard Trophy was creeping up, only 2 weeks to go and previous has finished and this year was no different. ‘Who’s a final week of training in Crowborough. We were down to going to be in the team?’, ‘Where’s the event going to be?’ the final 9. The distances being covered for the last two TABs and more commonly ‘who is going to be the main are 20 miles plus and being out of Wales and in the South of competition?’ are the questions that are asked. The TABs are England the temperature rose considerably. Heat injury fast and ruthless; around Colchester and the surrounding became an apparent risk and was flagged up on one occasion countryside. We train early in order to try and avoid the by LCpl Richards who I can only describe as having a full on summer heat. As the distance increases so does the speed meltdown. It was also quickly decided that kippers for and some struggled to keep with the pace, including Sig breakfast wasn’t such a good idea which Sig ‘Harry’ Jones

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 77 discovered when he threw up for the first 19 miles of the 20 Team carried on. Half way up Whernside Cpl Milson’s knee mile TAB. Crowborough was soon followed by the Caythorpe which had been injured in Brecon suddenly became a pretty Reunion weekend, renowned for vast amounts alcohol being serious niggle to the point he could no longer put any weight consumed and an all round good time. Lt Landon decided it on it. Soon after this Cpl Rose had a bad fall and twisted his would be a good idea for a two can rule to be enforced with ankle. This slowed the team down to a sluggish walk at best; the event only being only a week away. Needless to say some unable to get warm it became a real mind over body struggle. thought the two can rule was actually just banter and hit the Defeat hadn’t entered our minds. It was only when we Waggon and Horses pub hard and entering the phantom descended from Whernside could the damage to the team be zone……including ‘The Fresh Prince’ himself! assessed. Cpl Milson, Cpl Rose and Sig Jones were badly injured. A difficult decision had to be made; could the team The day of the event, after a week of rest in York to get rid of carry on with the injuries they had acquired? Lt Landon any niggles and the team of 8 were mentally prepared for decided the best thing to do was to do was call it a day at the what we had to do. The team were on the start line, the foot of Ingleborough. The injuries that had been acquired weather was poor but deep down we knew that we were the mixed with the poor weather would have undoubtedly made fittest team there. The order was given and the 2015 Lanyard it dangerous to carry on. Trophy Competition was underway. Straight away 216 had pulled the lead, however things were to go very wrong over Gutted, devastated and overwhelmed don’t come close to the next 10 hours. Within the first 3 miles Sig Jones fell off how the team felt when we knew it was over. Starting the the side of Pen Y Ghent injuring his knee; thinking it was only day knowing we were the fittest team only to succumb to bad a knock he carried on. Sgt Nelson started hallucinating after a luck and injuries. Giving up was never an option any of us had 2 hour constant battering from side winds and driving rain considered but with only 4 healthy men left on the team there and if it weren’t for Cpl ‘The Carrier’ Milson force feeding him were no other options. coffee, sweets and flap jack he would have definitely suffered a lot worse. Reaching the halfway point we learnt 14 Signal As I said at the beginning, talk of the Lanyard Trophy starts Regiment had a 10 minute lead. Nerves were fraught and Sig right after the event has finished and for the men that ‘Admin’ Nunn got an undeserved bollocking from Cpl ‘Chafe’ volunteered for this year’s Lanyard Trophy we are looking Rose when he didn’t open his Muller Rice at the admin stop. forward to 14 Signal Regiment hosting it in 2016. We will be Meanwhile Sig Jones was eating painkillers as if they were there in strength with our infectious optimism and that going out of fashion as his knee had slowed him down to a offensive eagerness which has been earned and validated by fast limp and kept buckling over the rough Yorkshire terrain. hard physical training. The embodied spirit of the Maroon Still determined and confident we could close the gap the Beret.

Army & Navy Game 30th April 2016 The Royal Corps of Signals ex Corps Players Pre-Game Drinks Royal Signals Ex Corps Players pre match drinks and buffet - Friday 29th April at the Duke of Cambridge pub (opposite Kneller Hall) on Kneller Road. We are planning an in informal gathering of ex Corps players from around the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s era. Lt Col Geordie Gainford and Lt Col Tom Hall will be organising the event, assisted by Pete Lytollis and John Topping. The cost is expected to be about £12.00 for the Buffet plus the normal Army & Navy game ticket and wrist band for the Corps tent. For more details and to register your interest please contact Gus Hales at [email protected]

78 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 OTHER UNITS

UK MOD SANGCOM PROJECT TEAM

SANGCOM says “Ma’a Salama” to Brigadier Tim Watts OBE The evening also gave Brig Watts a chance to say goodbye to - by WO1 (FofS(IS)) Rich Wilson the head of the Arabic department, Sheik Nazer Ansari MBE. Nazer has been a key part of SANGOM and is the longest On 3 September 2015, the Saudi Arabian National Guard serving member of the team. To mark his outstanding Communications Project Team (SANGCOM ) officially said contribution Brig Watts presented him with a Master of farewell to Brig Tim Watts and his family. In keeping with Signals Commendation in recognition of his dedication and time honoured tradition, a leaving function was held at the commitment to the team. SANGCOM Mess, appropriately named The Dunes.

The farewell celebration not only ended a highly challenging and successful three year tour for Brig Watts as the SANGCOM Program Director, but also the final tour of a long and distinguished career with the Royal Corps of Signals and the British Army.

Almost every person in SANGOM attended the function and the record turnout is indicative of relationships the Brigadier has built up over the course of his tour. He has a lasting legacy and all the team members, family, friends and colleagues from supporting organisations were keen to show their appreciation on the night. Those attending enjoyed an outstanding three course buffet meal and were entertained with a video collage of the Watts family escapades and adventures whilst living in the Kingdom. Nazer receiving his Master of Signals Commendation Col John Adams delivered a humorous but insightful summary of everything that had been achieved by Brig Watts and his family over the course of their tour and reminded everyone The evening ended with a guard of honor for Brigadier and just how much they had contributed to the team and Saudi Mrs Watts as they made their emotional final journey out of Arabia. The Brigadier gave a heartfelt reply, thanking all The Dunes. All members of SANGCOM, family, friends and involved in the project, most notably his family, because, of colleagues wish the Watts family Ma’a Salama and good luck course, it was also a sad goodbye to his wife, Mrs Claire for their next adventure. Watts. During their time in Saudi Arabia, Claire held the position of Community Liaison Officer, a pivotal role which At the same time, we welcome the new Programme Director oversees the administration and welfare of all the families Brig Pete Drew and his family within SANGCOM.

Brig Tim Watts formally hands over to Brig Pete Drew Col Adams presents Brig Watts with his leaving gift SANGCOM Support to Hajj 1436 - by Capt Jim Healy It was also goodbye, albeit temporarily, to Miss Ellie Watts who was responsible for greasing the wheels of team To Hajj or not to Hajj. For all Muslim adults that are physically administration and transport requirements. Ellie has and financially able to make the journey to Makkah, then the successfully secured a teaching position within the Diplomatic Hajj is a must at least once in a lifetime. The Hajj mission is Quarter and we look forward to seeing her again soon. also, rather surprisingly, an annual event in the Liaison Officer Western Region’s (LOWR) calendar.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 79 Hajj 1436 (from the Hijri lunar calendar) is set with a backdrop A Brief Explanation of the Hajj Pilgrimage of a significantly increased security threat across the Arabian Peninsula with the growing danger of ISIS (Da’esh) in the The Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth of the five pillars of Islam, sees north, the continuing war in the Yemen and a number of millions of pilgrims travel to Makkah from around the world militant attacks around the country. This made preparing for mostly arriving through the Hajj terminal at King Abdulaziz Hajj 1436 particularly difficult due to the increased security International Airport in Jeddah. As the Pilgrims travel to around the Holy sites of Makkah. With a great deal of liaison Makkah they enter a state of holiness or Ihram which must be between the SANG and the Ministry of Interior, passes were done prior to crossing the pilgrimage boundary, Meqat. issued and work was able, in the main, to be completed on Ihram sees the Pilgrims change into two simple clothes made time. of two unstitched cloths and the taking of ablutions. For those flying into Jeddah this must be done either prior to Hajj 1436 was in danger of being overshadowed by the tragic boarding or once in flight. crane crash that led to the death of 118 people and injuring nearly 400. It also suffered the greatest loss of life during any At the Hajj terminal the Pilgrims transfer onto coaches for the Hajj since the 1990s when over 700 pilgrims died and leaving journey to the enormous campsite at Mina, where the vast nearly 1000 injured as they prepared for one of the final majority of Pilgrims stay until the Hajj rites begin. Whilst the stages of the Hajj rituals. Despite these events the Saudi journey today from Jeddah is undertaken on coaches, in years Authorities were keen to ensure Hajj 1436 was allowed to gone by the Pilgrims would have undertaken their journey, continue unabated. The thoughts and prayers of all the team over weeks or months, as groups (caravans) riding camels or in the Western Region and wider UK MOD SANGCOM has just simply walking. They would have travelled from their been with all those affected. homeland to Makkah meeting up with other caravans all to undertake the greatest pilgrimage in the Islamic world. It is Planning for Hajj started in earnest as the SANG returned to worth noting that in the future, possibly next Hajj (1437), the work post Ramadan and the summer break. Requirements journey from airport to Makkah will be undertaken on the were presented, refined and agreed before GPT and their sub- new Haramain railway joining Jeddah and the airport with the contractors delivered them in time for the deployment of the Holy Sites of Makkah and Madinah (the burial place of the SANG to the Makkah sites in late September. Because the Prophet Mohammed). Work to deliver the railway line has LOWR post was temporarily gapped, it fell to me, only been underway for the past two years. recently arrived as the Regional Project Officer in the Western Region, to deploy to Makkah and provide the liaison role for Pilgrims arrive in Mina by sunset on Tarwiyah Day (8 Thoul both SANG and GPT. The area covered by the LOWR team Hijjah from the Islamic calendar), where they wait until sunrise spans Jeddah and Makkah in the south to Yanbu and Madinah the following day conducting Tawaf: walking around the in the north and is equivalent to an area covering the size of Ka’aba (Black cube in the middle of the Holy mosque of England. Along with the immensely experienced Mutasem, Makkah, Masjid Al Haram) seven times and running/walking one of the region’s translators on his seventh Hajj, we seven times between two hills (Al-Safa and Al-Marwah). deployed to our location on the Haram boundary (Muslim Tarwiyah means to “Satisfy Thirst” and relates to the fact that boundary) to Makkah. We were ably supported by Ghulam, Pilgrims would drink from the Zamzam well that flows in the the regional manager from GPT on his 29th Hajj, and a close Holy Mosque. It is believed that the well sprung up in the support admin team that provided for all of our needs. At the place that Abraham left his wife (Hajar) and son (Ishmael) at end of the Hajj the whole team returned to Jeddah to the order of God as a test of his devotion. After their light consider the lessons learnt and start the planning process for provisions ran low, Hajar paced between the hills of Safa and Hajj 1437. Marwah looking for water. She did this seven times which is repeated during Tawaf.

The following day (9 Thoul Hijjah/Arafat Day) after early Morning Prayer (Fajr) Pilgrims move to Mount Arafat where the Holy Prophet Muhammad is said to have given his final sermon. The Pilgrims spend the afternoon on (or as near as possible to) the mount offering prayers and supplications and seeking the mercy of God. This is the most important of all the Hajj rites and failure to spend the afternoon until sunset on Mount Arafat invalidates a Pilgrim’s Hajj. After sunset they move to Muzdalifah where they spend the night praying and sleeping on the ground. Here the Pilgrims collect stones/ pebbles in preparation for the following days.

On 10 Thoul Hijjah (Ramy al-Jamarat) Pilgrims return to Mina and stone the devil, using , at Jamrat al-Aqabah a column representing the devil. This is also the first of Eid Al Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, where Pilgrims sacrifice an animal in remembrance of the sacrifice that Abraham made when he left his young son and wife in the wilderness. In the past the Pilgrims would conduct the sacrifice themselves however nowadays it is done by proxy in a modern abattoir with the meat being packaged and distributed to the poor around the world as a charitable donation. Hajj continues until the 12 Thoul Hijjah with Pilgrims stoning the devil again on each day and conducting further Tawaf.

Capt Jim Healy hard at work at Hadjj 1436

80 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre

OC Army Element Maj (Tfc Offr (EW)) Ian Piears The first stop was at RAF Leeming for an overnight stay before the hard work began but, as usual, confusion reigned The Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre when the Guardroom staff were faced with a task harder than (JEWOSC) is a Joint establishment within the JFC C2 chain finding the Higgs Boson – correctly handing out keys to the which is located within the Thomson Building and collocated transit accommodation. To their credit it was sorted fairly with the Air Warfare Centre at RAF Waddington. The JEWOSC quickly, with minimal confusion and after only an hour we had mission is to deliver timely EW Operational Support (EWOS) dumped our bags and were in the bar to grab a bite to eat. A to Defence in the form of Mission Dependent Data (MDD), pint or two of liquid refreshment was also consumed, perhaps EW Information, Doctrine, Training, Countermeasures advice Dutch courage for the next day. and various other products resulting from the fusion of Intelligence, Information and Doctrine. Essentially, it houses The next morning the drivers had a long slog further the UK authoritative EW data source and uses this to program northward whilst those walking tried to prise some more all current defence EW systems (e.g. HIDAS on Apache, EWOS sleep in the far from comfortable seats of the minibuses. For to MC for Ships and Submarines, RADAR Warning Receiver for some of the Southerners in the group there was a real fear FJ). It also offers essential advice to the procurement process that it would look something akin to the ‘Wall’ featured in for any asset that may have an RF capability (e.g. SCOUT SV). Game of Thrones, but as some of their fellow travellers were from that region they took solace from the fact that none of As most ‘platforms’ are owned by the RAF it is naturally a RAF them looked like extras in furs or carried broadswords as a heavy unit, but there is a tri-service mix of personnel and a matter of course. significant number of civil servants and contractors. The R SIGNALS provide the largest Army contingent, in the form of Eventually we arrived at the start point and some EW Sys Ops, but there is also representation from AAC, REME, disappointment was felt that the wall, rather than being a RE and Int Corps to provide expert and operational advice. mile high was barely more than a long mound fading into the The majority programme AAC capabilities but are always distance. However, the absence of giants and mutant wolves cognisant that they are a seedcorn of capability should a new was a relief for some. Photos were taken and with much Land based platform be procured (eg LANDSEEKER) following trepidation the walkers stepped off into the unknown. the removal of INCE (Pinemartin and Beady Eye for the older readers!) and halt to the SOOTHSAYER project. Despite the The first section was dealt with fairly easily and the miles scarcity of Land equipment all personnel are making an quickly ticked off – by nightfall all were going well having important contribution to current operations and it is unlikely covered 25 miles. In order to fuel the walkers an unusual an operation is ongoing that the JEWOSC has not provided, or endurance athletes’ meal of kebabs was ordered for the continues to provide, an element of support. evening, perhaps morale being as important as carbs.

Although the roles within JEWOSC are varied all R SIGNALS By the next morning however, having clocked off another 20 personnel work in the Electromagnetic Environment (EME) miles, a number had dropped out through injury and field and an intensive period of training is undertaken on exhaustion and only 4 walkers remained; Sgt Gav Fletcher, arrival in order to polish these aspects of the EW Sys Op Sgt Greg Southern, Cpl Richard Gately and Cpl Charles trade. Training varies dependant on role but is either on site, Andrews. These 4 were re-joined later by Cpl Jo Goss after locally contracted to EW specialist industry partners or with some rest had dissipated the worst of her pain. US partners at Nellis AFB Nevada (apparently Vegas may have been a slight distraction) or Lackland AFB, Texas. The second day coincided with St Oswald’s day and the team passed through the field, where in the 7th Century St Oswald Although some may miss the Regimental lifestyle there are defeated the pagan armies of Northumberland. However the excellent opportunities to work with other arms and services, beauty of the church that now stands on the site of this battle become involved in project work with DE&S and there are was lost on the walkers as they plodded onwards through the first-rate facilities at RAF Waddington for individuals and afternoon; by now stopping frequently to tend to their feet families. It is the largest ISTAR base in the UK and and take on water and sustenance. opportunities for familiarisation flights (including FJ if you are very lucky!) are available; although you have to bear in mind they work to RAF flight times and may be delayed!

Despite not being a usual Regiment there are always opportunities for AT and FD and the non-stop 38 hour walk of Hardians Wall in order to raise funds for the Air Ambulance is but one example of the opportunities available in this busy Unit.

Hadrians Wall – by Sgt Jason Owens

On 3 August 2015 a group of intrepid adventurers from the JEWOSC set off for an adventure in the grim northern climes to attempt to conduct a non-stop walk along the length of Hadrians Wall. It was a tri-service expedition, with members from the RN, RAF as well as our own Corps members. The Army ably led the expedition with Sgt Gav Fletcher of the Int Corps working long and hard to set up the whole event.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 81 Eventually, only Sgt Fletcher and Sgt Southern were left at walking like John Wayne and were keen to tell all and sundry Walls End after a total of 84 miles and 38 hours. A well their tales of podiatric woe – but this was more than made up earned pint quickly followed before returning to RAF for by the just over £600 raised for Lincolnshire Air Waddington. For the rest of the week several people were Ambulance.

1st NATO SIGNAL BATTALION

CO Lt Col Andreas Kubitz (DEU Army) Spain. The build of the HQ required 100 PAX over 14 days to RSM WO1 Steve Base (CAN Army) pull 200km of cable and install 2500 workstations and 900 phones, representing 40% of the total end user devices across NATO Exercise TRIDENT JUCTURE 15 all locations. – by WO2 (YofS) Neil Donaghy Full Operational Capability was delivered on 25 September TRIDENT JUNCTURE 15 is a NATO exercise involving 43,000 2015 ready for the first phase of the exercise to certify the personnel from more than 35 Nations deployed throughout headquarters prior to a large LIVEX to test the troops. The Italy, Portugal, Spain and Germany. It is designed to Signal Support Group is now well established and the demonstrate NATO’s new increased level of ambition in joint Deployed Network Operations Centre is now in full control of modern warfare and certify joint forces for the NATO the deployed network with Capt Pristone Osabwa leading Response Force for 2016. It represents the largest, most with pushing the ITIL process model across the NATO complex CIS architecture NATO has ever deployed on detachments. exercise. Tasked to provide the CIS support on the exercise was the NATO Signal Support Group led by the 1 NATO Signal 1 NATO Signal Battalion Overview – by Neil Henly Battalion. The group deployed over 400 personnel across 14 separate locations to deliver NATO Deployable CIS to eligible This article shines a light on the life and work of both civilian headquarters and provide connectivity to the mission network and military GBR personnel in 1 NATO Signal Battalion (1NSB); for the Joint Task Force’s component commands. which, together with our sister (2 and 3NSBs) form the main deployable capability of the NATO Communications CIS Group (NCISG), in support of NATO exercises and operations.

1NSB is based in Wesel, Germany where we moved in 2010 after many successful years in Maastricht. We have been around in various guises since the era and seen involvement in every major NATO operation in one form or another since then. In our current format we are made up of six Deployable CIS Modules (DCMs) (equivalent to field CIS companies) with a Battalion HQ and a Maintenance and Support Company. Altogether we have troops from twelve different nations stationed in four countries across Europe; from Denmark in the north to Croatia in the south. Our capability range is enormous and we can support everything from a small three or four member liaison team all the way up to a huge four star NRF JTF HQ of 1000 staff as we did in EX TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015. DNOC Head Service Manager Capt Preston ‘O’ Osabwa sleeping whilst standing with SSgt (FofS) Garry ‘Gaz’ Johston trying to In any one year the NSBs deploy on significant numbers look alert of exercises and operations in support of ACO and NRF components. This requires a considerable commitment The initial entry team, lead by WO2 (YofS) Neil Donaghy, from all the military staff and the NICs who work alongside deployed on 24 Aug 15 to set the conditions with the host them. Certainly we get to see all corners of Europe and nation and begin to prepare the arrival for the detachments some manage to get even further afield on courses, planning deploying across the Iberian Peninsula. Once the main body meetings or operational deployments. arrived on 3 September, the focus of the attention was the Joint Task Force Headquarters located in Zaragoza Airbase, The Battalion’s personnel are primarily concerned with delivering CIS capability wherever and whenever it is required. To do this we have a very strong element of specialists in the various fields that have extensive military and commercial experience in the CIS area, whether in logistics, finance, transmission, networks or information services and functional applications. It is said, though written nowhere, that there are three chief reasons for embedding NICs with serving personnel: They bring the bonus of continuity to a complex machine of many moving parts as they do not rotate with the frequency of their military colleagues; they are less expensive to the nations than the burden involved in supporting an equivalent from the various armed forces, with all the incumbent costs of housing, medical and schooling etc. lastly, The Battalion’s deployed personnel on Ex TRIDENT JUCTURE 15 and somewhat light-heartedly, that if anything goes wrong,

82 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 nobody’s military career needs to suffer as the NICs will take the systems and services from twenty different components the blame. Our personnel come from 13 different countries in support of the Test Directors, who conduct the rigorous and each bring their own attributes, work culture and contacts testing regime to ensure the exacting standards required for to add to the wealth of the NSB family as a whole. NRF certification can be met. All the Battalion’s technicians were deployed for this, as every year and, as ever, provided This year we are in the preparation cycle for the lead NRF a fantastic opportunity to not only capture new knowledge standby NSB role in 2016, along with all the other components but also impart our own to the participating units. Many which make up the force. Just like them this has involved us of the faces are the same each time and some very strong in a host of meetings and conferences to plan and execute working relationships and friendships have developed over the long series of exercises which go into achieving eventual the years. Similarly, it provides a fantastic opportunity for the certification. The NICs, especially the Engineers, play a major personnel from all three NSBs to get together to harmonise role in this effort. Particularly they bring their vast knowledge our standards and approach to NATO CIS in line with ever- to bear in meeting the users’ requirements by manipulating changing technologies and standards. As a technically and configuring the wealth of technology at our disposal and concentrated exercise, with barely any users, this is probably managing the art of the possible. our favourite deployment of the year, but as big as this may have been, it was all just the technical warm-up for the main Apart from providing the CIS to support the HQs in the field, event from August to November in Spain. for 2016 1 NSB forms the bulk of the Signal Support Group (SSG) and within that the technical effort of the Deployed Network Operations Centre (DNOC). This is where most of Battalion HQ personnel and Engineers are employed, bringing the value out of the investment that NATO has made in each of us. This year we have conducted three large exercises to achieve a high standard of proficiency so that we can meet the expectations of the NRF community. This started in February in Naples, Italy with EX COBALT CLOUD. That exercise sought to familiarise us all with our DNOC roles by establishing baselines, writing SOPs and running through a welter of scenarios to bring us back up to speed. For most of us this was the first time we had seen the by now famous CP156 tentage in the field and it was a pleasant surprise. Although not ideal (what is?) it provides a good stable environment for conducting operations in a rear area. The exercise itself was only ten days long, but it was the first of approximately one hundred nights out of bed involved in exercises this year alone. The coffee, as ever, was indescribably delicious and we were well looked after by our counterparts from the 2 NSB High level view of part of the Ex STEADFAST COBALT travelling who had the role the year before. show From a CIS perspective the most interesting exercise each year is the huge movable feast that is EX STEADFAST COBALT, On returning from Poland at the beginning of June we found which this time took place during May in Wałcz, Poland. The that the summer was upon us, but not yet time for a break. main thrust of this event is to bring together the components There were the last two conferences for TRIDENT JUNCTURE that will form the NRF in the following year, along with to be dealt with, including the Technical Coordination many units that participate regularly to keep their skills and Conference (TCC) which for us is by far the most important. configurations up to date. It is like an enormous travelling After a lot more planning and re-planning and then planning show of military CIS technology, with each of the participating again, there was just enough time for a short summer holiday nations and components bringing along some of the most before the run-up to the Autumn exercise, starting with a modern equipment available, albeit mostly in big green boxes. two week FLASH exercise in barracks, during which all the equipment is configured and the final (hopefully) details are added to the technical aspects of the design. With the DCMs deploying to their exercise locations in August, time was very tight and some long hours and a lot of dedication were required from our logistics team to get everything where it needed to be.

It is the conclusion to a year of many and sometimes lengthy deployments. Next year should hopefully be a little quieter for us, but for our counterparts in the 3 NSB, it will be time to take over where we left off for NRF 2017.

British Street Party Wesel, Germany – by Cpl Navin Gurung

Thirty 1NSB personnel and their families moved to the new build houses in Wesel, Germany. This was a welcome change not only from the archaic SFA in Goch but also from the Satellite garden 100km daily commute.

Over a four week period, all the technologies and services that Sgt Garry ‘Gaz’ Smythson and Cpl Navin Gurung organised a are needed for NRF undergo close checking and scrutiny by a British street party to welcome the new arrived families to combined NCIA and NCISG team. Our role, this time around, Frieden Strasse and introduce them to our new German was to run the DNOC for the whole exercise, integrating all neighbours. In true British fashion, the weather did not

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 83 drive the team forward in order to achieve their full potential. Ladies Football is now massive and has garnered a lot of following in the UK. Within the military, a lot of support has been generated towards the sport so my challenge was to try and get more players involved and start making steps up the ladder to success.

Over the season we put in some great performances producing some very good results. Of particular note was the 1 – 0 victory on the RSFA Tour to Cyprus against the Dhekelia’s Ladies Team which boasted 5 international players within their team. The 2014/15 season saw the team finish in 5th place with 8 points and reached the Semi Final of the Edwards Challenge Cup. Our most successful season to date and definitely something we can build on.

Getting acquainted with our German neighbours disappoint; it rained for the better part of the afternoon. However, that did not dampen the party spirits; we proudly introduced our German neighbours to a typical British BBQ, which involved copious amount of food, alcohol and rain.

We are now settled into the community and looking forward to exploiting opportunities and adventures offered by Wesel Town.

Battalion Open Day – by Cpl Adam Wilson

The Battalion opened its gates to the local civilians and local businesses. The main aim of this event was to foster good relationships with the ever hospitable local community that hosts and supports personnel from 13 different nations.

1NSB demonstrated its capabilities and performance and the static displays that attracted thousands of interested people. The public had a chance to visit stands and had a chance to taste cuisines from the different nations represented. The British personnels stand attracted a lot of interest, not only for its free tea, but also for the attractive models; showcasing the different array of British Army uniforms and equipment. SSgt Dave Tuck doing the Arsene Wenger walk

During the year we also had the chance to relax and look at the way the professional men and women of the game live and visit some of the facilities they use daily. I had the opportunity to organize stadium tours of QPR, Arsenal and Wembley. We trained with the QPR Ladies and we were fortunate to watch, meet and greet the Chelsea Ladies at

British soldiers strutting their stuff at the cat-walk

Also, partners, such as the Police and the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief, contributed to the display and presentations. All visitors indicated their sincere interest in getting acquainted with their new neighbours from NATO. It turned out to be an outstanding event which was extremely well attended and highly appreciated by all visitors.

Royal Corps of Signals Ladies Football – by SSgt Dave Tuck

I took over as Head Coach of the Royal Signals Ladies Football Team upon completion of my Level 2 Football Coaching Course and looked forward to using my new skills to help SSgt Dave Tuck showing the kids how ‘it is done’

84 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Cobham training ground, even though the facility was on Arsenal aimed our session at the National Citizens Scheme, lockdown as the men’s side prepared to meet Spurs in the Bolton Wanderers and Bristol Rovers wanted to use the Capital One Cup Final. Through Tickets for Troops we also had assault course as an attraction for their Family days. Swansea the opportunity to watch England Ladies take on the USA City, West Bromwich and Stoke City wanted us to support before they went on to play in the World Cup in Canada, have their Summer Camps, where Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan a photograph with the trophy and meet the Man City Ladies Athletic wanted to concentrate more on their local at their annual pre-season party, City Live. communities by setting up in the local parks and youth clubs.

The season ended on 25 May 2015 when the Royal Corps of Signals Ladies took on Stoke City Ladies at the Britannia Stadium. The game was not about the result but about the experience. I grew up dreaming of playing on a Premier League pitch, walking around a Stadium when it was empty, lost in thought and imaging what it would be like to be involved. As a Liverpool fan I could only imagine what it was like to sit in the away changing room when Steven Gerrard gave his last speech as Captain of Liverpool FC. Never did I think that I would be a coach giving the team talk in the same changing room as Brendan Rogers did 24 hours previously. Nor did I think I would be stood on the touch line barking orders, but thanks to the Corps Ladies I have a memory I can keep for the rest of my life.

I look forward to leading and taking them further in the 2015/16 season. Coach SSgt Dave Tuck briefing the kids prior to their tackling the assault course Army Football Association Roadshow 2015 – by SSgt D Tuck

I was asked to join a small team to help with joint venture We combined the military assault course and football tactics between Army Football and the Football League. It was to show the similarities with regards to discipline, dedication designed to promote grass roots football and integrate the and team work. The participants relished the challenges from British Army with the football community, bringing a blend of the cam net with obstacles, speed/agility poles, a target military panache and character to the Summer Soccer Schools grenade range, a 1m inflatable ball and booby trapped gates. that were being run professionally by clubs. It also allowed all After the sessions all of the children were presented with parties to venture into the more affluent areas to ensure Army branded mementos which included mini footballs, hand members of the public from all walks of life had the clappers, referee packs, water-bottles, frisbees and opportunity to take part and have a bit of fun. wristbands. The Football Clubs were presented with an Army Pennant. The culmination of the road-show was graced by a visit from the Chairman of Army Football, Brig Mitchell MBE where he experienced first-hand on how the football can be used as a good tool to engage with the community.

Deployable Communications Module Delta (628 Sig Tp)

OC Maj Craig Tee FofS WO1 (FofS) Peter Fraser

This is the first Wire article submission for DCM D (628 Sig Tp) since rebasing to the UK. I would be lying if I said it was entirely flawless and smooth, but on the whole all of our equipment and families have made the jump across the channel and that is something to be grateful for. We’re now Who wants to be a millionaire? Join the Army! in the process of getting the unit established in the UK whilst supporting ongoing operations and exercises, more of which you will hear later on. As the coordinator I looked into ways of making the roadshow bigger and better. I wanted to give more emphasis As I write this DCM D (628 Sig Tp) has two teams deployed on the football but also wanted to add a bit more of an Army operationally both for just shy of two months in support of Look at Life injection. I was fortunate to meet with a few NATO Strategic Communications delivery. We have a team in clubs from the Premier League and get them involved, raising southern Turkey as part of the Allied Assurance Measures to the profile of the roadshow; engaging with the community protect the border with Syria, and there is a team deployed to through football was invaluable in enhancing Military – Civil Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of RESOLUTE SUPPORT. The team engagement. Our social media also went through the roof in Turkey has been focused on supporting the Allied Patriot reaching over 15000 people via Facebook, Twitter and Club Ballistic Missile batteries in a fairly remote part of Turkey. This websites. task is now coming to the end of its 3rd year and nations are now withdrawing capabilities. The team there has continued The Roadshow engaged with children and young adults from to deliver excellent CIS services to the German battery and all walks of life via physical interaction and social media. On now has torn down the infrastructure for it to be re-tasked, any given day we could be visited by anything from 50 – 300 they should hopefully be returning home soon. participants, aged 4 – 21 years old. Different Clubs organized different events during the summer months so it provided us For the troops in Afghanistan our contribution to the NATO with the opportunity to meet many people from various Signal Support Group has seen the troops prepare for rapid backgrounds and social statuses. Newcastle United and reaction tasks and ensure the cities VHF command network

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 85 doesn’t fail. This latter task has seen the Radio team making The trip started with a short hop from HQ RS to HKIA where frequent trips up a nearby mountain to repair a troublesome we would catch an onward flight to Herat the next day. Our repeater tower. This tower is either on its last legs or clearly fixed wing flight made it safe and sound to Herat where we enjoys the company of British troops, as even the keen lads were picked up by our Italian hosts and taken to our who wanted to ‘get out on the ground’ are sick of going up accommodation. After they had dropped us off our hosts there. We’re all settled into our routine and counting down suggested a meeting in the evening to a talk about what until Christmas when it will only be a matter of weeks before needed to be done over the next few days. It was at this we go home. Cpl Tweddle has written up on some of point that our group leader, Lt Col Eisinger (German Air business we have been up to. Force), with typical German efficiency jumped straight in and suggested we started right away, which seemed to take the As for the Rear Ops Group, WO1 (FofS) Pete Fraser has been Italians a bit by surprise. The Italians work to a much more busy addressing issues and getting the unit ready for its NATO relaxed time frame but being the good hosts that they were Reaction Force commitment in 2016. He has been somewhat they just took it in their stride and we quickly dropped off and like ‘a fish out of water’ as the ROG OC, where he has been got straight to work. mostly focused on G1, I can see future Adjutant in his career profile!

DCM D Settles In Blandford Camp – by Sig Hubbard

While everyone else has been living it up in Spain or Italy over the last few months, I’ve been left back on camp in Blandford. This basically means that any job that’s come in has been handed to me which has kept me busy alongside assisting the SQMS to set up the unit.

The next couple of days were spent looking around the camp and finding out what it was that the Italians would require from us during the drawdown, and how we would manage to provide it all. My job consisted mostly of finding a large enough area for the satellite dishes to be placed for the link back to Kabul, which lasted all of about 10 minutes, so job We’ve had to carry on unpacking and checking all the kit as done. There were a lot of meetings and engagements with the unit has only recently moved over from Germany into our the Italians for planning to try and understand things may or new home. This also means that we’ve been setting up tents may not happen at some unspecified time in the future. that got checked before the move from Germany, just in case, and putting up pictures onto the corridor walls and arranging the units property in display cabinets to make the place feel more homely.

I’ve also, alongside all of this work, been busy organising the Christmas Party for the Troop and partners as well as a Cultural Visit to London to see the Imperial War Museum and The Royal Hospital Chelsea to further broaden the Troops knowledge. In summary, DCM D has not only made a positive footprint in Blandford Camp but is also looking fantastic and I’ve had a really busy enjoyable time since arriving in the unit.

Resolute Support Signal Support Group - Deployable CIS Recce of Herat – by Cpl Gary Tweddle

As the NATO mission in Afghanistan changes and draws down some of the planning going on would see the eventual closer of the various Train Advise and Assist Commands (TAAC’s) On the last night in Herat we were hosted for a meal by the around Afghanistan. This would mean the DCIS team having local THALES Technicians which was a real treat as on the to deploy out in support of this to provide ‘last safe comms’. menu was lobster and we did not have to pay, result! One of these potential closers would be TAAC West in Herat, Unfortunately for WO2 Adam Stares and one of our civilian which is an Italian run camp. To that end a team was put contractors, Lee Norman, there must have been something together and sent out to recce the site to find out what sort wrong with their food as they spent most of the night of CIS support the Italian’s would require during the speaking to God on the big white telephone! Alas all good drawdown of the camp. The team that was put together things must come to an end and the next day we were on our consisted of various people from the different branches that way back to HKIA. would be supporting the closers. The RSSSG contingent was comprised of Maj Craig Tee, WO2 Adam Stares and myself. Unfortunately on landing in Kabul we missed our connecting rotary wing flight back to HQ RS, as someone thought it

86 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 would be a good idea to book our onward flight to HQ for German soldiers from DCM A, but they were before the flight from Herat actually landed. Overall it was a uncharacteristically late. Now that the whole team was finally productive trip with plans now put in place for the closure of together we could start work, which was setting up the real the TAAC’s regardless if it is us, or our replacements doing the life support element for 1 NATO Signal Battalion (1NSB). closures. And I will be looking forward to any more recces During that time we met a crazy but funny American soldier coming up to the other TAAC’s in the future. call Rob Abernathy who assisted the team in any way he could. After a long a busy week the Yeoman kindly gave the Resolute Support Signal Support Group – Centralised Call team a day off and we all headed into the city centre of Centre – by Sgt Mark Newton Zaragoza where we took in the sights and famous tapas of the city. RS CCC (NHKIA) – What do we do? We are the Hub for all NATO CIS assets; we take in service requests for communication fulfilments, any CIS faults and any Requests for Change. When we receive these tickets we check them over, ensuring that they have the required information and then pass them on to the relevant departments with the Afghan Mission Network Operations Centre (AMNOC). We took over from a Danish DCM that is a part of 1 NSB on 10 September 2015.

After a short couple of days HOTO, we officially took over the RS CCC and began to settle into our routine our 12 hour days split into two shifts of 6 hours. Our work routine is fairly steady, leaving ample time for the guys to get all the gym time in that they want with plenty of time for coffee at Tim’s Bakery. It’s not the most action packed job out here, Zaragoza City however since being here we have had one IDF attack which landed only a short distance from where we are and one earthquake which caused the whole building to shake. The main effort for week two was sorting out all the equipment and vehicles arriving from Wesel which is 1 NSB HQ Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE in Germany. The amount of equipment was astounding and – by Cpl Paul Heeney and Cpl Ash Spooner the vehicles ranged from a German Sherpa to a Land Rover. The Sherpa’s were so wide they would barely fit on the road, On 24 August 2015, three members of DCM D set off from a so provided a challenge. On Wednesday members from 1 NSB wet and cold Blandford to take part in NATO’s most ambitious HQ, DCM B and M&S Company arrived and this hailed a and largest exercise since Exercise STRONG RESOLVE in 2002. massive upturn in work on the ground. The exercise area Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE consisted of 36,000 troops, 30 needed to be filled with infrastructure and equipment that Allied and partnered nations, and was taking place was still arriving daily. throughout Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, Canada, Norway, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Our part of Trident Juncture was going to be in sunny Spain at a Spanish military airbase near the city of Zaragoza.

We had flown from Gatwick to Madrid and after an uneventful flight we tried to find our hire car. Unknown to us no hire car had been issued so after many phone calls the frustrated Yeoman already in Zaragoza explained we needed to catch a train. After a brief moan we set off on an adventure to get a train from Madrid to Zaragoza. Eventually after a bus ride we made our way to the central train station One of many tents and managed to book ourselves on a last minute train. Because it was last minute we could only get a first class ticket and it did not disappoint. A luxury seat with our very Week three and the work load continued to grow and we had own Manuel (Faulty Towers). to say goodbye to one of our team, Cpl Ash ‘the real Ash’ Spooner and the German lads from DCM A. This left just me On our arrival the Yeoman, Neil Donaghy, gave the team a and Sig Lewis Bestford to continue on with M&S Company. brief and explained that we would be joined by a team of We had now been moved into the line section to assist in flood wiring the equivalent of 6 football pitches of tents. This

The advance party This is proof that sometimes Systems Engineers do work

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 87 was a massive task which was led by the unflappable Sgt On the course was myself, three Italian guys and a Romanian. Mickey Lane. Our team consisted of 2 German lads and me, We had instructors from Italy, USA, France, Portugal and Sig Bestford and Sig ‘mega mouth’ Ashton. Canada, so you can imagine the different accents and confusion we had a lot of the time; it made for a few laughs.

It was quite a nice balance of theory and practical, not too much death by PowerPoint. We set up the satellite and components numerous times over the two weeks and got good hands on experience. Myself not being the best in a classroom environment have a lot to thank the instructors for as they were extremely knowledgeable, patient and very good at explaining things.

We visited Rome for the weekend, got a hotel and partied hard. We visited the Colosseum, Vatican City etc and did all the usual touristy things. Can’t complain, the weather was Sig Lewis Bestford enjoying some American food in Spain fantastic, and from the freshly cooked pasta, to wood fired oven pizza, beer and wine, it was great!

Eventually we had another chance to see the sights of The following week was basically just going over what we had Zaragoza and this time we managed to visit the very learned in the first week and putting that into practice. We impressive Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Pilar, one of the ate out in some good restaurants locally in the evenings and most sacred Cathedrals in Spain. Later we managed to find got a real taste for the Italian food and way of life. We made an Irish bar and all received a free t-shirt, but much had to be some good friends while there and showed the other said for the meals we ordered, burger and crisps. A few days nationalities how to drink. later the team decided that we needed to have a kick back and go for a couple of drinks at the bowling alley bar on the camp. Sat at a table with an American, Belgium, British, Dutch, German, Italian and a couple of Slovakians, this had to be one of my favourite nights as we all joked about each other’s countries and found out just how much we all had in common, to me that is what NATO is all about.

Soon the party was over for me and Lewis and on 21 September we set of from Zaragoza with sun tans, back to, you guessed it, sunny Blandford. This was a massive exercise, having been part of building Main and Excon on Elmpt in the past, the exercise in Zaragoza was on a different scale and was only a small piece of one huge puzzle.

NATO Communications, Information & Systems School, Latina, Italy – by Sig Harkness and Sig Bestford

I’ve just arrived in Rome, Italy. It’s a fine, warm Sunday evening, stepping off the plane, the pungent smell of pizza and stale beer in the air hits me! I soon realise that smell is It was soon Friday and it was time for our graduation and to my Geordie marra Sig Lewis ‘gan for a pint’ Bestford who is collect our certificates. A fantastic two weeks of working accompanying me on this trip who is on a different course hard and playing even harder. If there’s one thing I’ve learned (dirty tech). Of course this was by no means a holiday; we while in Italy is that if you fancy an ice cream and you ask for a were indeed here to study at the NATO Communications and cornetto, you’re going to be a bit disappointed as you’ll get a Information System School (NCISS) in Latina. croissant. It was then time to head back to the UK and give our livers a wee rest. Until the next time Italy!!!! We jumped on the big green bus with our bags and headed for the school. On arrival we signed in and were given the Exercise SKY FINN – Adventure Training keys to our rooms. Obviously we were expecting the usual – by Sig Lewis Bestford “high end” accommodation that the Army normally provides, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. To our surprise we On 12 October Cpl Heeney, Sig Dalby, Sig Harkness and had our own en-suite rooms equipped with air con, beer myself went on a sailing adventure known as Ex SKY FINN. fridge and free WiFi; decent! We threw our bags in and We left early on the Monday morning to drive to Gosport headed straight to the on camp bar (The Oasis Club). We met where we then sat through some safety briefs. These fellow students from Italy, the US, Croatia and Poland to covered how not to fall off a boat and various ways of name but a few and had a really good night. retrieving someone who has.

First thing Monday morning and we head off for a brief held After the morning of briefs we collected our sailing gear and by the RSM. The usual do’s and don’ts and where everything then we were introduced to the fine ship Ensis 2. After was located etc. A short speech by the Commandant and signing for the fair maiden Cpl Paul ‘tack and jibe’ Heeney then off to meet our instructors for the next two weeks. A attempted to reverse Ensis 2 out of the bay. This attracted quick picture of our course then off to work. I was here to numerous spectators who were more interested in the safety learn about the Deployable Satellite Ground Terminal (DSGT) of their own boats after ‘tack and jibe’ pin balled his way out which on completion of the course would mean I should be of the port. When we finally made it out of the port Cpl able to deploy with the kit, set up, configure and operate the Heeney and his fine 2IC, Sig Steve ‘Erm, yeah, I’m comp crew’ DSGT equipment, integrate it with other kit and perform basic Harkness, showed the two ‘newbie’s’ a few tricks of the trade maintenance on it. before docking back in the harbour for the evening.

88 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 The Troposcatter system was used to deploy a Beyond Line- of-Sight (BLOS) link totally obstructed by an intermediate mountain between Zaragoza and San Gregorio exercise locations in Spain. Initially considered as a backup, it became the primary link due to its performance, offering a capacity of wide-area network (WAN) transmission capacity of 12 Mb/s with low transmission delay and SATCOM-equivalent reliability. The HC BLOS wireless link was deployed between the Joint Task Force HQ at Zaragoza Air Base and Land Component Command HQ in San Gregorio complementing the largest CIS network architecture NATO has ever deployed on any Exercise.

It was used on a 17km long microwave (4.4-5 GHz) link totally First thing on the Tuesday morning we all arose feeling quite obstructed by an intermediate mountain and operating in cold and prepped the cruise liner for take-off. We then found dual-diffraction mode. Despite the resulting additional the highway of the sea which led us all the way to about a propagation losses (60dB, or a factor of 10-6), the technology mile off of the Isle of Wight where we then parked and is still able to close a reliable link at 12Mb/s capacity. The size relaxed having hoisted the anchor and dropped the sail, or and weight of the equipment has been reduced and now fits something like that. We sat there and ate a most wonderful into 2 transit cases. Currently, the US, Sweden and Poland are breakfast exquisitely prepared by Sig Dalby. After enjoying the other Nations using this system including variety of said breakfast both Sigs Dalby and Harkness struggled Nations in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. hoisting the anchor from the ocean before leaving to dock in Cowes. In Cowes Sig Kris ‘Chef’ Dalby prepared a tasty The COMTECH engineers gave instruction and orientation to a Bolognese, padded out with sweet corn, of all things! 3 man team made up of Sgt Westmoreland, Cpl Shrestha and Sig Ashton. We started by assembling the newly designed After we woke the next day we discovered that leaving the antenna dish and later the remainder of the system. We heating on overnight actually helps keep the ‘fridge’ aka the found that this system was easy to set up and operate, has a ‘Ensis’ remarkably warm, so breakfast was sent overboard user friendly Graphic User Interface and the system can be and we had a nice morning stroll to Eegons café where we all remotely monitored and managed. received a certificate for eating a rather ordinary sized but overpriced breakfast. We then took the seas and took a leisurely sail to Southampton.

On the Thursday we all practiced the skills we had learnt over the week whilst heading back to Gosport. This included the tying of many knots such as reef, figure of eight, bowline and hitch. We all also had a go at skippering the boat where we had to read the wind, follow a course through the sea and throw in a few tacks and jibes for good measure. Once we docked we went to Portsmouth to enjoy our final evening meal of the week.

The final morning we turned round the boat and then cleaned the vacuum to then become vacuum cleaners ourselves. Now just let that sink in for a while. We then handed the boat back before heading back to Blandford Camp after having an enjoyable week away on the high seas.

Using Evolving Technology on NATO Exercises Cpl Shrestha fighting for Tropo Comms - by Cpl Pritam Shreshta This type of communications system (compared to my During Ex TRIDENT JUNCTURE, NATO trialed a recent previous experience on other terrestrial bearers) is lighter and evolution of an emerging technology called Modular Tactical easier to assemble, reliable and weatherproof. The Tropospheric Scatter. The ‘TropoScatter’ Det was provided to experience of using this new capability has undoubtedly NATO by Comtech Systems free of charge as a capability reinforced our collective CIS knowledge, and we believe that demonstration of a concept already earmarked for inclusion in the future this platform will become a valuable addition to into NATO Capability Package 149 (NATO Deployable CIS). the NATO CIS “armory".

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 89 Armed Forces Down Under Great Britain Armed Forces travel to Brisbane to play the Australia Defence Force as a prelude to the third and deciding State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium By Captain Thomas Howley

Great Britain Armed Forces Rugby League - Associations Cup Champions 2015

Preparations for the Anzac Tour to Brisbane began in April when the squad met at RAF Brize Norton to receive Head Coach, WO Damian Clayton’s intent. The tour made history in Armed Forces Rugby League as it’s the first overseas fixture to commemorate Anzac and the grandest played before the State of Origin.

Associations Cup

Since 2013 Great Britain Armed Forces Rugby League (GBAFRL) have become part of the Associations Cup, a competition which sees Great Britain’s Police, Students, Teachers and Armed Forces compete against one another to be crowned champions.

The 2015 Associations Cup was very much preparation for the Anzac Tour and provided the Head Coach the chance to narrow his squad from 40 down to the 21 touring players.

GBAFRL committed themselves throughout the competition and were eventually crowned 2015 Associations Cup Champions after defeating the Students in the final, 28-4. The touring squad was announced the day after the final and within the 21 were five Army representatives, including Capt Thomas Howley, Sgt James Young and Sgt Michael Harrison from the Royal Signals.

The Royal Signals Rugby League have strong links to representative Rugby League within the Armed Forces and are going through a developing stage after completing a second Royal Signals representatives: L-R: Sgt Michael Harrison, Capt successive season in Tier 1 of the Lawson Cup. Thomas Howley, Sgt James Young

90 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Armed Forces Down Under Great Britain Armed Forces Rugby League travel to Brisbane to play the Australia Defence Force as a prelude to the third and deciding State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium By Captain Thomas Howley

Anzac Tour

The squad assembled at Wimbish Barracks before departing from Gatwick Airport. They trained on the afternoon of their arrival to assist with the removal of any jetlag and from then on in the preparations continued. Our first fixture was against Queensland Universities, a game which we narrowly lost 22-20. The students, many of who are on Rugby League apprenticeships, were persistent with their attacks and eventually turned over the touring Pommes!

To mark the occasion and in true military fashion the squad held an Anzac Memorial Parade at RAAF Amberley.

Other off field activities included a training session with the Brisbane Broncos (Chelsea Football equivalent) taken by Wayne Bennett who is Rugby League’s very own Alex Ferguson.

The time had come to face the Aussies in their own back yard at the famous Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as a prelude to the State of Origin decider – the stage was set and both teams went hammer and tong!

GBAFRL started extremely well and took a demanding 16-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes but the Aussies lived up to their infamous competitive selves and clawed a few tries back to narrow the lead before leading early in the second half. Sgt James Young controlled the game throughout and led all the GBAFRL attacks. Capt Howley crossed the try line late in the second half to level the scores but it was not enough and the Aussies scored the winning try in the last minute of play. The final score was 24-22 to the Australian Defence Force. The loss was difficult to take at the time but in years to come the squad will look back and realise what a momentous and grand occasion the tour provided to all involved.

Preparations for Royal Signals Rugby League will start in April 2016. Anybody that is not already involved and is interested in playing should watch out for advertisements in March 2016. Capt Thomas Howley charges into the Aussie defence

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 91 ROYAL SIGNALS YACHT CLUB EXERCISE CALEDONIAN TIGER – 27 MAY TO 17 JUN 15

Skipper SSgt Al Smith Mate Maj Ben Howarth

Seven members of the Corps, including a Reservist, gathered in May for a 3 week sailing expedition around Scotland. Organised by the Royal Signals Yacht Club, this was the first of its kind under the tenure of the new Corps Boatswain, SSgt Al Smith. The aim was to offer experienced and novice sailors alike the opportunity of testing sailing in unfamiliar waters, well away from the Solent, and this trip was arguably in the most scenic of sea areas which also offers testing sailing conditions for all abilities.

Goldrush, a 36ft Westerly Mk 2 was our ‘home’ for the Expedition and we collected her from her berth at Dunstaffnage, on the west coast of Scotland. This location is a gateway to vast sailing areas; within a day’s sail you could find yourself on the Outer Hebrides or on the coast of Northern Ireland. We set sail in a clockwise direction that would encompass the Western Isles, the Small Isles, the Outer Hebrides, the Shetlands, Fair Isle, the Orkneys, Pentland Firth, Murray Firth, the Caledonian Canal (including Loch Ness) and then onto to the surging Gulf of Corryvrecken. Finally, after sampling a cheeky wee dram at a distillery on the Isle of Islay (it’s not all about a rolling deck and choppy seas), we overnighted on Colonsay before returning Goldrush to her home port.

The Skipper and Mate were keen to explore some of the more isolated bays in idyllic and tranquil locations and to get closer to the outstanding natural wildlife on this trip. The majority of the crew were also looking to blend this with their millionaires’ weekend and stamping their pub passports. A sensible balance was found! Dictated by wind and tide a few hiding holes were sought to shelter from the heaviest weather and rather conveniently this coincided with being in some of the larger ports on offer in the area.

After familiarising ourselves with the boat and getting the mandatory safety briefs and drills squared away, our first port of call was Tobermory. En route it would become evident to some of our first time sailors that life heeled over at 35 degrees would not make prepping food any easier. In general the culinary standard on board was well above average. This average could have been bettered if it was not for regrettably unsupervised first time attempts at “simple” dishes such as cheese on toast or boiled eggs. After a few near misses Sig Alexander Teslenko put himself to good use in the Galley, contributing thereafter as No 1 Tea Towel holder.

Skipping between the Small Isles, the Outer Hebrides and the Mainland after a long passage we took refuge in on the Isle of Lewis at Stornoway for our first enforced break from the weather. Leaving in late May the whole trip was relatively midge free, but this is Scotland so it was never going to be tanning weather. It was on Stornaway, mingling with the Sunday afternoon petrol-station punters that socks akin to those issued to us would be purchased for the bargain price of nineteen (Scottish) pounds! Not only was it somewhat chilly, but breaking waves over the bow had caused the cosy, fore-peak bromance ‘nest’ inhabited by LCpl Scott Pretty and Sig Jamie Lubbock to encounter new levels of damp, even for them!

The Prince of Dhobi emerges from his ‘special place’ (the fender locker)

92 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 ROYAL SIGNALS YACHT CLUB EXERCISE CALEDONIAN TIGER – 27 MAY TO 17 JUN 15 After a brief stop on the headland before Cape Wrath a long passage to the Britain’s most northerly city, Lerwick, saw strong winds and high seas test everyone’s helming abilities. Some found it easier to sail for the land of the free (the wrong way); others took on the task with gusto and made easy work of the broad reach in Force 7s. Once ashore and rested a cultural visit to the prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof engaged us. It was at this point Sig Ross ‘Braveheart’ Simpson connected with his Clan and procured all the finest trappings on offer. After lunch a boat tour to the Isle of Mousa and some of the finest remains of the Iron Age. A 2,000 year old broch (tower) is still safe enough to climb and once housed the inhabitants of the Isle and some of its livestock. A seal colony and numerous nesting birds also enjoy the coastline and the geographical protrusions.

Our next stop on Fair Isle, populated by 64 people and a mecca for ‘twitchers’, was a stepping stone en route to Orkney. Many species of bird not seen in the rest of Great Britain can be found here during their migration patterns and the infrastructure, better than some Garrisons, supports an extremely isolated community. Orkney offered 1,900 miles of coastline and a return to civilisation as some understand it (Wi-Fi). The Orkney pre-wedding tradition of the Stag and his mates blackened in treacle and rolled in oats and feathers before being paraded around the town centre in the back of a pick-up truck was much enjoyed by the yacht’s ‘Prince of Dhobi’, Sgt Lewis Furnival, viewing this spectacle from the comfort of a soft leather couch with coffee and cake to hand whilst making a much-needed laundry run.

After racing through the Pentland Firth, with a 6 knot assist despite slack water on neap tides, we pushed on to the Caledonian Canal and bang on cue the sun arrived. This did not in any way warm the temperature of the water in Loch Ness though. Breaking the ice was of course our resident PTI who we hope has now come out of cold shock! The Canal is simply stunning with Ben Nevis looming as you approach the western end. Close to our destination with a few days to spare there was time to take in the Gulf of Corryvrecken en route to Port Ellen (Islay) and the nearby distilleries. This particular stretch of water is famous for its strength of flow creating the third largest whirlpool in the world. Races and eddies combined into an enthralling experience; so much so we went out of our way to go back through it again on our final day.

Much quality sailing experience was gained on this expedition. The Scottish west coast in particular offers a huge variety of anchorages, moorings, bays, beaches, and ports. A local man told us he’d been in the area over 40 years and still had places he wanted to visit as the scenery is simply stunning. The weather is unpredictable and being unfamiliar with the area makes sailors of any level concentrate hard on passage planning and general seamanship. Navigation, pilotage and tidal calculations all making a critical contribution to the success of each day’s sailing.

For the Royal Signals Yacht Club this was our first foray to Scotland in a long time and it was immense! There will be more, similar opportunities in the future. Visit our Facebook group to find out what is happening and how you can get involved.

‘Braveheart’ Simpson and the Skipper enjoying the sunshine after the rain

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 93 Royal Signals Hockey Club - by Capt Geo Maas

It has been a busy start to the season for the Royal Signals Hockey Club. The season started with the traditional Signals Cup, a tournament open to all Royal Signals Units, both Regular and Reserve. This was shortly followed by the Inter Corps Indoor Tournament held in Aldershot in October every year. This year has also seen a big turnaround in personalities within the management side of the Club. Capt Laura Yaxley, now new in the seat as the Ladies Secretary, Capt Geo Maas as the Men’s Secretary and with Lt Col Caroline Lewin as the new Chairman. Signals Cup 23 – 22 September 2015

With a busy exercise season upon the Signals community saw this year’s iteration of the Signals Cup being played with only six teams entered. The standard of hockey displayed by all those who participated was very high, showing great sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. The experience of those playing ranged from week-one-day-one on the hockey pitch to seasoned Army players. Those who lacked experience more than made up for it by their enthusiastic approach, frustrating well-rehearsed set plays by the more experienced LCpl Shane ‘Vinnie’ Vincent leading the counter attack players in the opposite team.

Breaking away from tradition, the weather did not play along. On the first day of the tournament when the Outdoor phase was played, clouds gathered and water descended from the heavens in buckets. This did, however, not dampened down the spirit of the competition. In addition, just to test everyone’s sense of humour, on the second day of the tournament when the Indoor phase was played, the clouds parted and the sun warmed the earth.

All those who participated thoroughly enjoyed the 2 days of hockey with potentially some new names being added to the Corps Squads. The results for the tournament were as fallow:

Overall

Position team 1 3 Sig Regt 2 14 Sig Regt (EW) 3 30 Sig Regt The team ready to take a Penalty corner 4 11 (RSS) Sig Regt 5 22 Sig Regt 6 21 Sig Regt

All smiles for the Ladies team Maj John Hooker providing a steady defence

94 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Royal Signals Hockey Club - by Capt Geo Maas Inter Corps Indoor tournament 12 – 14 October 2015

The Inter Corps Indoor tournament started with the traditional practice day on the Monday before the tournament. This gave both the Ladies and the Men’s team the perfect opportunity to blow out the cobwebs and put the final touches into the set routines. The practice day was finished off with the compulsory visit to Nando’s in the evening, getting everyone into the right mind-set for the start of the tournament the next day.

Day 1 saw only the Men’s team compete. They team got off to a steady start, playing in the opening match of the Cpl Paul Tough demonstrating why he was top goal scorer for tournament against the . Once the pre- the tournament tournament nerves were settled, the team finished with a comfortable 6 – 3 win. Next up was the AGC. By this time the team was all settled and into a nice steady rhythm. This resulted in a one sided match, beating the AGC 9 – 1. The last game in the Men’s pool was against the REME. The nerves held within the team, ensuring a winning score of 4 – 1. The Men’s side emerged undefeated in the pool stages of the tournament, gaining a place in the semi-finals. The semi-final was against the Engineers. By this time the team’s confidence was at a peak. This resulted in a one sided match, beating the Engineers 13 – 3.

Day two of the tournament consisted mostly of the Ladies pool matches and finishing with both the Ladies and Men’s finals. The Ladies team performed very well, making all the seasoned teams work very hard for their victories. The final Sgt John Edge proving to be a thorn in the side of the opposition match for the Ladies saw the very young squad come together and clinch a very convincing victory. This was later followed by the Men’s final, which saw the Royal Signals face off against the RLC. The first half saw both teams evenly matched with nearly every goal answered by another. Half time saw the scoreboard stand at 3 – 3. In the second half, the Men’s strategy started paying dividends with the RLC unable to keep pace. The final score was 6 – 3 in favour of the Signals, thus retaining the title as best team in the Army for yet another year. A new addition to the presentations this year was top goal scorer, which Cpl Paul Tough was awarded. The Men’s team now progresses on to the next round, seeing it compete against the best the RAF and Navy has to offer.

Royal Signals Hockey Road Show A very happy Men’s team displaying their spoils of war

A new addition to the calendar this year is the introduction of the Royal Signals Road show. This is aimed at promoting hockey at Unit level while also trying to recruit new players for the Corps Squads. The first road show was held on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon in Tidworth and was aimed at 3 Sig Regt, 11 (RSS) Sig Regt, 21 Sig Regt and all southern based Reserve units. This saw some new talent emerge as well as some old familiar faces coming back to the sport. Further road shows are planned for early in the new year and will be aimed at all those units based in the Midlands. These road shows are open to anyone within the Corps, regardless of whether they have even heard of the sport before or not. The only requirement is to want to play it.

The first of many RSHC Road show

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 95 Exercise TRANSGLOBE

Ex TRANSGLOBE is a multi-leg round the world adventurous sail training expedition organised by the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC). The exercise began this July and will see two boats, one Army (Discoverer) and one RAF/RN (Adventure), circumnavigate the globe in 13 Legs. The R SIGNALS were allocated Leg 1 from Gosport to Lanzarote. On paper this leg was never going to be up there with the ‘bucket list’ legs of sailing the Southern Ocean or competing in the Sydney Hobart race, but what it lacked in glamour it made up for in affordability and accessibility and as it turned out a large dose of adventure and adversity.

Ex TRANSGLOBE was almost the expedition that never was. JSASTC planned to use two of their existing Challenge 67 yachts, however routine inspections revealed issues that were uneconomic to fix in order to receive ocean crossing certification. This was early 2015 and what then took place over the coming months, particularly given the ongoing financial climate, was nothing short of miraculous. Two Challenge 72 yachts were identified, bought, delivered, overhauled and prepared for almost 14 months of offshore and ocean sailing.

So it was that the 13 strong R SIGNALS crew arrived in Gosport on the Tuesday prior to the planned Saturday departure to find Discoverer swarming with engineers and JSASTC staff as they battled to get things ready for the go. Ovens sat forlornly alongside life rafts on the pontoon, patiently waiting to be fitted, life rafts were being hoisted aloft to be installed on the stern of the boat. Sadly the majority of the crew were novice or near novice so were limited in their ability to help so instead began the mammoth task of buying food for 15 people for 15 days.

The crew was broken down into 3 watches consisting of a Day Skipper Watch leader, a Competent Crew as their sidekick and then 2 novice sailors. Overseeing the 3 watches were 2 Mates and of course the Skipper. In total there were six people who had absolutely no sailing experience and all but the Skipper and one of the Mates were R SIGNALS.

As is normally the case, the chaos and confusion steadily reduced as the departure day approached. The start of the expedition coincided with the America’s Cup UK leg and saw Discoverer and Adventure depart a very busy Portsmouth harbour after a brief naming ceremony.

Looking back it would be fair to say that probably all bar 3 of the crew had no idea what they were in for over the next 8 days. As is typical of a glorious British summer, the Gulf Stream had been busy sending a succession of low pressure weather systems careering into North West Europe causing unsettled weather along the planned route. A fair wind greeted Discoverer as she entered the Solent and steadily increased as the Needles were left behind and we entered the English Channel.

Sea sickness, or mal de mer if you are that way inclined, was always going to be a feature of the trip. Even experienced sailors often feel a little unsettled at the start of a trip if the weather conditions and course to be steered conspire to induce a ‘bumpy’ ride. The three horsemen of the apocalypse that were visited upon the crew of Discoverer came in the form of force 8 winds, rough sea conditions and a course/wind combination that at times seemed destined to prevent Discoverer from ever leaving the Channel. It was also raining.

96 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Exercise TRANSGLOBE

The watch system, used when sailing long distances, is very similar to a rotating stag system. At any time two of the three watches are on ‘sailing duties’ and rotate between being on deck and sleeping in 4 hour shifts. The third shift is the Mother Watch and is responsible for feeding the other watches and keeping the boat vaguely clean. Every 24 hours a new watch takes over Mother duties so effectively for every 2 days of sailing there is a day of cooking and cleaning below decks.

Details of the first few days are sketchy but at one point during a particularly languid watch change, the bottom of the companionway steps was occupied by 4 people, 2 from each watch, making best effort to fill a bucket each whilst the floor of the wet locker was occupied by another unfortunate sole who was largely passed out following their own exertions at the bucket game. Meanwhile, and to the chorus of the ongoing mal de mer, the Mother watch optimistically prepared dinner in a similarly tardy fashion whilst routinely pausing to address their own buckets. Any hope of a swift recovery was being damned by every 24 hours that passed with Discoverer struggling to clear the Channel and get into the Bay of Biscay.

It wasn’t just the crew that were suffering but also Discoverer herself. Her hasty departure had resulted in a safe and seaworthy boat, however numerous teething problems revealed themselves as the days went by. As she was handling the heavy seas, and taking frequent waves over the deck, the first of these issues revealed itself in the form of an unexpected and unwanted internal waterfall.

Fortunately the crew sleeping areas were not affected but a large portion of the saloon and galley (kitchen) areas were soaked through. Combined with the persistent rain this produced some very wet crew members so the Skipper started the diesel heater for the first time. Much to the annoyance of the sleeping off watch, and the amusement of the on watch, the fire alarm took offence to the diesel heater and vented it’s fury in the form of prolonged bout of discordant wailing.

Another issue was causing a slow but persistent diesel leak that added a very unwelcome odour below decks that didn’t do much to settle peoples’ stomachs. To compound the misery one of the two heads (toilets) refused to soldier and the other was intermittent at best and made daily ablutions a high risk activity.

Keeping Discoverer operational required the constant effort of the watches under the direction of the Skipper. Designed for ocean passages, she is completely self-sufficient except for food for the crew and fuel for the engine should the wind not blow. Four water tanks hold over a tonne of fresh water and a water maker can be used to make more whenever required. A diesel generator provides power to charge the batteries that power the communication, navigation and lighting system whilst also directly powering the water maker. Four fuel tanks hold over a tonne of diesel and if used prudently can keep the generator running for months.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 97 Whilst below decks is bulging with machinery to keep the boat running, above decks relies solely on human power to keep the boat sailing. Hoisting the main sail or either of the two foresails requires significant physical graft and coordination and is made all the more ‘exciting’ when the waves are breaking over the deck, at night and in the rain.

Steadily the crew recovered and weather and wind eased to give a slightly smoother ride. During this period some high class soldiering was witnessed, particularly from the novices, as they battled with the debilitating effects of sea sickness. It may have now taken 10 minutes to peel a potato or 20 minutes to get dressed in oil skins but people dug in and soldiered on in the most adverse of conditions.

As the sea sickness faded the crew began to experience the more positive side of offshore sailing. Stunning sunsets and sun rises bracketed the frequent daily sightings of dolphins whilst the night watches were illuminated by the heady glow of the Milky Way and the ethereal glow of bioluminescent plankton churned up in the wake of Discoverer. The sun finally made an appearance and so the tanning began, and the long task of trying to catch some fish commenced.

The boat and her crew soon settled into an enjoyable rhythm of standing watch, sleeping and cooking as the miles to northern Spain were slowly sailed away. With the calmer weather came the opportunity for the novices and experienced crew alike to learn how to sail a 72 foot, 55 tonne boat and, more importantly, how to keep her and her crew working contentedly.

After 8 days at sea the north coast of Spain finally came into view early one morning. Our first destination was the town of Baiona, a modest sized tourist town popular with the Spanish. Following the battering the boat had taken there was much to repair and between finding the cause of the leak, drying things out and fixing the broken heads much effort was exerted. Once fixed, or bodged to an acceptable level, there was time to enjoy some of the excellent Tapas restaurants and the local tourist attractions.

Cooking whilst at sea was a challenge that each watch faced every 3 days in their role as Mother. Discoverer has a surprisingly well equipped galley, a large 5 burner hob and two ovens provide the room to keep a large crew well fed. The gas hob is gimbaled so that the boat moves around it and so keeps the hot, boiling liquids largely static.

98 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 The challenge for the cooks is to adjust to the movement of the boat and normally involves wedging between a railing and using a lot of core strength. Chopping also becomes more challenging as the knife, board and item under dissection all try to head in different directions. Manoeuvring around the galley is an exciting game as no matter how used you think you are to the movement of the seas you always get caught out as you release your grip and the next thing you know you’re on the opposite side of the saloon and the catering sized tin of beans that had been in your hands mere moments ago is now in flight across the saloon and heading for a worried looking crew member.

After a couple of days of well-deserved shore leave Discoverer slipped out of Baiona and headed south for the short run towards Cascais, just outside the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. Compared to the sail down from Gosport, the 30 hour run down the coast was a pleasure cruise in comparison. As such the main effort turned to tanning, closely followed by fishing and avoiding the many fishing buoys that had a habit of heading straight at the boat. As we approached Cascais the wind dropped to a whisper and so the final few miles past the posh houses and hotels on the coast were completed at a glacial, but pleasurable, pace.

Cascais had much more of a British flavour compare to Baiona, even down to the flotilla of learning how to paddle board just outside the marina that were almost scuppered as Discoverer reversed in. The reason for the reversing was down to the tendency of reverse (‘astern’ in sailing circles apparently) not to engage and so not provide the necessary brake to slow the boat. By going in backwards, the troublesome reverse gear could be engaged at leisure and then the more trustworthy forward gear used to slow and stop the boat.

After another couple of days of extended shore leave the crew got ready for the final hop down the coast and over to Lanzarote. By this point the crew were well drilled in preparing the boat for departure and in short order Discoverer was leaving Cascais and turning south. Everyone quickly slipped back into the routine and despite heading offshore again, the dreaded mal de mer was nowhere to be seen. The budding bakers in the crew soon began a bread war and attempted to out bake each other with brownies, mixed fruit loaves, sausage rolls and fruit pastry things. As the final days of supplies were gradually eaten into, the menus began to get slightly more eclectic. Fortunately the extra-large tin of hotdogs was not called upon and only a minor dent was made on the 10kg jar of lime pickle.

By the time we were half way to Lanzarote, the total time spent fishing must have been in the hundreds of hours, all with nothing to show for it. This was proving immensely frustrating as not only had several people spent money on fishing kit, but because Adventure had caught a tuna practically as soon as she had left the Channel. The wait finally came to an end almost inevitably when the majority of the crew were tied up with a sail change. A fish of marlin-esque proportions was at last on the end of one of the lines trailed from the stern. After much effort the ‘beast’ was hauled in and revealed to be a Skipjack tuna, although for some reason the giant we had seen leaping out the water on the line had swum off and been replaced by a much smaller, although still respectable, foot long specimen. Queue heroic photos, much cheering and then many looks of bemusement as everyone looked to each other at the suggestion of gutting and filleting. Fortunately the skipper had trained as a chef before heeding the call of the ocean and so the catch was in the pan in a flash and soon all that was left was a faint whiff of fish around the helm.

Soon land was sighted and our final destination steadily grew to fill the horizon. Having moored up several times by this point, the crew were well versed in the drill of parking and so an uneventful manoeuvre was expected. This was not to be. As Discoverer slowly approached the visitors’ pontoon the crew prepared the lines that would be handed to the marina staff so they could secure them onto cleats whilst a well measured burst of reverse (yes, reverse) would kill the speed and stop the boat. All went well until reverse was called upon to slow the boat and, inevitably in the hour of need, failed.

Although only moving at around 2 knots, the momentum of all 55 tonnes of Discoverer is equivalent to an adult elephant (African) moving at full speed. It is probably for this reason that the cleat on the pontoon that did most of the ‘braking’ ended up about 4 foot to the right of where it had been previously whilst the end of the pontoon was lifted clear of the water for an impromptu inspection. Having provided sufficient entertainment to the patrons of the bar opposite the pontoon we moved off to our designated berth where we planned to use a similar technique, although executed slightly less violently to slow the boat.

However this was not to be. A language miss communication saw the marina motorboat fail to provide rear thrust to brake us and instead gave the bow a push for good measure. To compound things the pontoon turned out to be 5 meters shorter than advertised and so ended before the lines could take up the strain. Fortunately the damage was entirely cosmetic and could be repaired relatively easily although the pride of the Mate at the helm would take something stronger than gelcoat to repair.

That was it. The end of over 2000 nautical miles of offshore sailing that for most of the crew had been an eye opening and enjoyable experience that had more than paid back the more arduous moments.

What does the R SIGNALS yacht club do?

The Royal Signals Yacht Club provides sail training on both offshore yachts and dinghies to all members of the Corps, serving and retired, Regular and Reserve. The Club owns 3 yachts that can be chartered throughout the year whilst bi-annual Sail Training Weeks are held to introduce sailing to novices and develop the more experienced sailors. The demands of operations over recent years have seen only a modest involvement in racing but plans are in place to train throughout 2016 with an eye on the 2017 Fastnet race. From a quiet weekend sailing round the Solent to crossing oceans, the opportunities and wide and varied. Interested in getting involved? If so email [email protected].

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 99 Exercise HARROGATE MEDHOW – by Sgt John Howe

This was an adventure training package for all 14 members of Foreman of Signals Course No 85, offering a well-earned break from the academic workload entailed on the course. The options for locations came flooding in which included; a battle field tour in Italy, an AT package in Jersey and a ski expedition in Austria. In the end we were only afforded 3 days from the timetable of doom, so a package was created around the Newquay/Padstow area of Cornwall with RAF St Mawgan as a base location.

AT was to consist of 3 activity days involving a coastal walk, mountain biking and go-karting on the final day. To meet instructor ratios the course was split down into two (randomly selected) groups. Group 1 contained all of the competitive and SF members of the course, whilst group 2 contained the majority of the downgraded members. Both groups would come together for an adrenalin fuelled grand-prix event at St Eval karting.

After collecting the vehicles and mountain bikes the groups set off around lunch time for the 3+ hour drive to RAF St Mawgan. We were fortunate enough to have uncharacteristically quiet roads, so made good time. We sorted out the accommodation and began making the beds…having reassured everyone that we would be receiving a bedding pack so wouldn’t require sleeping bags etc. I was instantly hated when it transpired that the “bedding pack” comprised of a pillow, sheets and Itchy Blankets!

To unwind and continue training as normal, members of group 1 went out for a steady state run around camp with Sgt Nic ‘I’ll prove I’m not a biff’ Wieckowski setting the pace, whilst group 2 familiarised themselves with the NAAFI, cinema and cookhouse locations. That evening we ventured to Newquay to enjoy a meal and a few drinks together as a course, which we had only managed once in the previous 12 months and reflect on the fact it was mid-week and we had no lessons the next day!

Day 1

Group 1: Coastal walk – by SSgt Wayne Addison

The group were met outside the accommodation as directed by Sgt John ‘Crazy Horse’ Howe who was fuming by being held up for several minutes resulting in 120 seconds deviation from the timeline. This time was soon made up though with the direct driving that followed to the drop off at Treyarnon.

The group disembarked under the capable guidance of SSgt J ‘Edgar’ Foley, whilst Sgt Howe took the minibus to the finish point at Padstow. SSgt Foley made a confident calculation to cover the distance around the coastal path at approximately 4 mph, fat chance dispite the fact Sgt Nic ‘Biff Chit’ Wieckowski managed to get upgraded for the AT. Forty minutes into the walk SSgt Lee ‘Beeks AKA Gaffa AKA Guvner’ Ebdon managed to persuade a local to take a photo of the group; little did he know that he would be forced to walk the distance of Constantine Bay to get to us.

Previous activities had made it difficult for most people to regulate their body temperatures. Sgt Prakash ‘Ripped’ Rai resulted in wearing his 1157 for the duration of the day, even whilst playing pool at Padstow! The group managed to navigate with the simple rule of “keep the sea on your left” until we were reunited with Sgt John Howe just west of Harlyn. Sgt Prakash ‘Bradley Wiggins’ Rai was almost caught out at the beach by a fast moving tide. He managed to cling to the rocks as the water reached a very disturbing depth of 2 inches. It was at this point that Sgt Steve ‘Old Man’ Purvis started to reminisce about the initial lifeboat launches that he witnessed back in 1824.

With the arrival of Sgt ‘Ex OIC’ Howe the pace began to quicken to a respectable speed, enabling the group to have an expected arrival before midnight! However, the sight of a greasy spoon was just too much to turn down and the group ground to a halt when the

100 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Exercise HARROGATE MEDHOW – by Sgt John Howe

delights of the packed lunch were replaced for something edible. Eventually prying the group away from the snack van we headed past Trevone bay where Sgt Purvis canvassed the locals for a use of the ‘facilities’, as the only public toilets on show were closed for the winter. The group headed to the most northern point of the coastal walk through Crugmeer and onto Hawkers Cove. It was at this point that the SFC (and SC) fraternity came into their own. Competition from SSgts’ Dave ‘FTP’ Allen, Foley and Sgt Nic ‘Not a biff’ Wieckowski resulted in a rather rapid ascent of the only hill that could be found in the region, causing some of the older and more relaxed personnel to appear a little clammy and perturbed.

On arrival in Padstow the group headed to the nearest refreshment stop where 2 members made the fatal mistake of ordering a breadboard. What can only be described as a bakers weekly produce duly followed leaving SSgt Lee ‘Jammy Blighter’ Ebdon and Sgt Nic ‘I was only on the biff for one day’ Wieckowski in a carb coma!

To celebrate the walk, the pot-FofS guild decided to prove they do actually have a ‘Proper Job’, well a pint of, and finished off with a civilised cream tea in one of the finer establishments (with free WiFi), although the waiter was probably wishing the group of rather dishevelled and sweaty ‘tramps’ outside his window would walk on by.

Group 2: Mountain Biking – by SSgt Lill

Having already conducted a recce of the area, Cpl Andy Willis decided to take the group on a “Blue” off-road trail through the scenic Cardinham woods with the fun of every technical downhill section being offset by an arduous uphill section. SSgt Wayne Lill was raring to go following some caffeine (a double Espresso, an Americano and a cup of tea).

Sgt Grieg Taylor joined in despite suffering from a heavy strain of “Man- Flu”; rising to the challenge whilst seeking every opportunity to look in to the canopy above, while his eyes were closed!

Sgt ‘Chatty’ Chaitanyakumar, whilst very able on the uphill sections, decided that the best approach to the tight technical turns was to simply dismount and walk around them.

Day 2

Group 1: Mountain Biking – by SSgt Lee Ebdon

Day two saw group 1 venture into the woods to tackle the mountain bike trail through Cardinham Woods, only after a game of spoof resulting in a tense final between SSgt Dave ‘I will be in a bad mood all day if I lose’ Allen and Sgt John ‘I’m alright Jack’ Howe left Sgt Howe having to wear his cycle helmet until 1700hrs that evening.

The 7 mile loop encountered many up and downhill sections in addition to the more technical sections which were taken a great speed by most of the group. This led to a few being slightly more “off road” than others!! Sgt Steve ‘QE2’ Pervis had less to worry about with most of his time spent negotiating his massive frame around the tight switch back hairpins.

After the first loop was complete and refreshments had been enjoyed by all we embarked on the second loop taking in the more technical Red section at the very top of

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 101 the long hill climb. Having been warned by the instructor of the “steps” involved, SSgt Wayne ‘Onenut’ Addison demonstrated how to make an emergency stop on a mountain bike using one of these “steps”, which turned out to be massive boulders blocking the path!!!

The day was a total success and everyone enjoyed the adventurous element of the 3 days training program.

Group 2: Coastal Walking – by SSgt Nikki Phillips

On the second day the activity for group 2 was hillwalking. Setting off from Trevose Head the group followed the ever deviating coastal path east to Padstow. The day started off overcast and with a light drizzle, but by midmorning the weather had become bright and sunny and looked like it was set to stay.

After reaching the cliffs to the east side of Trevone Bay the group stopped to explore an impressive natural feature known locally as the ‘Round Hole’. Sgt Amie ‘Bridezilla’ Burt was most intrigued by this random hole but was forced to wait for decent phone reception to ask the all-knowing ‘Siri’, discovering that it was a blow hole eighty feet deep formed by a collapsed sea cave.

The walk along the north coast of Cornwall offered spectacular views including hidden caves and various bays. Whilst Sgt Greg ‘Crow’ Taylor was calculating the extra time he should be allocated during the activity, the group were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a seal at the bottom of a cliff.

The walk finished in the small fishing port Padstow, where we were all glad of the opportunity to have a well-earned rest and to sample some of the local delicacies and indulge in retail therapy.

Day 3

Go-Karting – by Sgt Prakash Rai

Go Karting was an activity that could be done by all members at the same time rather than being divided in two separate groups like the other events during the AT. The aim was to encourage team bonding with a competitive spirit.

The weather was good; with cool breeze and bright sun in the sky. All the drivers pre-worked out with a cup of strong coffee and were ready to race across the track and beat the speed of the cool breeze. To do that we had to be equipped with the right gear. After struggling through to find the right size of coverall, we were ready for the safety brief. Sgt Purvis couldn’t find the perfect fit so had to cope with an XXL coverall which made him look like Bob the Builder.

Finally, we were ready for speeding across the track. The event started with a five lap qualifier session to determine the grid position based on the fastest lap time. The main event was a 20 lap race. Soon we were racing and filled the track with the smell of burnt rubber, skid marks, spinning karts and marshals shouting at us to slow down at the corners to avoid being spun around and hitting the barriers. It was a fierce showdown between the top two drivers while Sgt Chatty ‘never shuts up’ Ijam decided to take it slow and enjoy the scenery and wave at each driver lapping him. With SSgt ‘wouldn’t say boo to a goose’ Addison leading, the victory seemed to be in his reach until Sgt ‘win at all costs’ Howe bumped into him sending him into the barrier in the final lap. With the help of the bump and his personalised helmet and gloves, Sgt ‘take no prisoners’ Howe won the race, SSgt ‘can I have a booster seat’ Addison came second and SSgt ‘Jammy’ Ebdon, who ended up only having to race against himself took third position.

This event gave an opportunity to compete amongst each other after 12 months of working together in the academic environment of the Foreman course. It was an ideal event to understand the importance of safety, improve reflexes, connect with other members (literally on occasion) and practice our driving skills.

1st John 'Win at all costs' Howe 2nd Wayne 'T-bone' Addison

3rd Lee 'sorry we had no bronze, Chatty 'best endeavor' will gold do' Ebdon

102 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 Patron: HRH The Princess Royal President: The Master of Signals Chairman: Brig DA Hargreaves Welfare Secretary Association Office Tel (mil) (9)4371 2089 RHQ Royal Signals Tel (civ) 01258 48 2089 Blandford Camp Email: [email protected] Col (Retd) Terry Canham Mrs Linda Sizeland Blandford Forum Tel: 01258 482081 Tel: 01258 482089 Dorset Membership Secretary DT11 8RH Tel (mil) (9)4371 2090 http://royalsignals.org Tel (civ) 01258 482090 Email: [email protected] General Secretary and Treasurer: Col (Retd) T Canham Assistant General Secretary: Maj (Retd) M Tivey Welfare Secretary: Mrs L Sizeland Maj (Retd) Mark Tivey Membership Secretary: Mrs C Addison Mrs Caroline Addison Tel: 01258 482082 Tel: 01258 482090

Since the last edition of The Wire representatives of all elements of the Corps, Regular, Reserve, Retired have joined to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we often take for granted today. We were very pleased to have as the front of plot representative Cpl Raj from 22 Signal Regiment. The photograph below shows him talking to the Duke of Edinburgh. Next year, this ceremony will take place on 10 Nov 16. If you would like to be in the ballot for tickets to attend, please email [email protected]

Remembrance Sunday saw the Corps Contingent join the Veterans March Past to lay our wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. We were very pleased to be joined by Tommy Wright (along with his wife and daughter to push his wheelchair) and David Greenbrook (plus his son to push his wheelchair). The photograph shows us following the parade just before we left Horseguards Parade. Remembrance Sunday next year will be 13 Nov 16 and again, if you would like the chance to attend, please email [email protected]

The 2016 Newsletter for Retired Officers and Association Members will be published in the Spring. If anyone would like to submit an article for publication, please send by email beforehand in .doc or .docx format with any photographs as a separate attachment in .pdf format to rsa@ royalsignals.org

The Forecast of Events for 2016 is published with these notes. Back issues can be found at: http://www.royalsignals.org/rsa-newsletter-downloads Following publication, a printed copy may be requested by application to RSA Admin Officer, HQ R SIGNALS, Griffin House, Blandford Camp, DT11 8RH and enclosing a large A4 SAE.

As I write, we are looking forward to the Project Noel VI, in Liverpool – see http://projectnoelfest.co.uk/ and other seasonal celebrations. I hope you will all have a very good Christmas and look forward to hearing from you in 2016.

New Life members. A warm welcome to the following members, enrolled since the last issue of The Wire:

Cpl Jeffrey Bridel 1942-47 Sgt Charles Holsgrove 1975-86 Sig Shane Millar 2006-09 Sig Lee Buckley 2009-15 WO2 Keith Johnson 1962-85 Sig Anthony Murphy 2007-08 Sig Sidney Burch tbc-tbc Cpl Robert Johnson 1973-90 Sig William Murray 1978-84 Sgt Neil Colledge 1999-11 Sgt Leslie Jones 1970-74 LCpl Martin Noble 1997-05 SSgt Peter Gilbert 1976-98 SSgt Avril Laver 1983-05 Sig Christopher Pimlott 1995-99 WO1 Darren Hankin 1993-15 Sig Peter Lloyd 1968-77 LCpl Luke Power 2003-13 Cpl William Herstell 1961-71 Sgt David Mahoney 1986-08 LCpl Timothy Scrivin 2000-09 LCpl Christopher Heydin 1986-04 WO1 Andrew Marchant 1979-02 LCpl David Turner 1982-87 LCpl John Hilton 1964-74 Cpl John Mercer 1992-12 LCpl Mark Tweats 1980-93 LCpl Susan Holland 2002-15

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 103 Our respective wife and husband looked on admiringly at our youthful efforts with their sage knowing looks (though we all COTSWOLD BRANCH had a great time). There were a high number of current bands and singers set against a backdrop of sports events as teams competed during each day. The field was filled with smiles from all ages, perhaps aided by local beers and ciders Chairman & Treasurer Mike Walker for those eligible, so I for one will be attending again next Vice-Chair Stuart James year. Come and try it out. Secretary Liz Friend Social Michelle Welch-Fuller Wire Notes Mark Paveley

An Author in Our Midst: So at the end of an RSA meeting in HARTLEPOOL BRANCH the summer one of our members casually dropped into the conversation the fact that he had authored a book, the Almeria and the Great Southern of Spain Railway (The GSSR). For some the subject matter may seem quirky; however to us Chairman Gerry Raffell it was fascinating that someone should have such an interest Secretary Tony Knight in something that they took it to a publishing house and it has Treasurer Tony Fitches in fact achieved a good number of sales over the years. The Standard Jon Rutherford author is one Don Gaunt and whilst his self-effacing was Branch Information Rob Moore obvious, the rest of us were suitably It was with great sadness in March that we had to say impressed. So farewell to our dear friend and chairman Dennis Wilson BEM. impressed that we Dennis sadly passed away and is greatly missed by us all. We insisted he sign the were able to gather 12 Standards for the service and gave copies he had him a good send off. brought to the meeting now that the book has been retired from sale. I have to say it was a thoroughly interesting read and served its purpose even better for me as a surprise gift for my father who is ‘train mad’. We just have to see if someone can top that in the future, best start penning some literary masterpiece this weekend! April: At our monthly meeting we elected a new Chairman, A Superb Luncheon: On 8 Jul 15 a lunch was organised at The Gerry Raffell. Royal Oak at Broadwas near Worcester. The location was chosen to allow some Branch members, whose mobility is not May: May’s meeting saw Mr Skrivin pay a visit in his capacity the best, the opportunity to meet up with some of the of Regional Secretary. On the 15th we all attended the regulars who attend the meetings in Cheltenham. The 13 Regional gathering RSA at Eden Camp. It was a great turn Branch members, plus partners' who attended enjoyed a out for what was the first Regional gathering and a clear superb spread, so much so that if we can arrange suitably indication to repeat it. Jon Rutherford volunteered to carry priced transport, more of the same is in the offing. the Catterick Standard.

Diddly Diddly Dee Entertainment: Rhythm of the Dance came to the Cheltenham Town Hall on 8 July 2015. Stirring memories of walking through Portadown to the sound of tin whistles and several bodhráns, I was transported back to my youth. Not true really, for me playing in a brass band on 12 and 13 July each year the sound was slightly different, however, one cannot help but be roused by the sheer delight of Irish song and dance. This show is a bit like Lord of The Dance but with a greater array of performance types. It was a great night out and the audience was baying for more at the end. I recommend it to all.

Dancing in a Field: The SportBeat Festival is a nascent event in Gloucester now in its third year and growing. This year’s Festival was attended by two of the members, myself included on 15 August 2015, and the other, Michelle ‘pogo stick’ Welch-Fuller who stagged on to include 16 August too.

104 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 June: As a result of doing so well in May, Jon was duly Entertainment was provided by the Hartlepool Male Voice nominated as the Branch Standard Bearer. Over the weekend Choir. We raised a total of £600.05 for charity, which will be 19/21 some of the members headed off to Blandford for a donated as follows: weekends (drinking), reunion activities. It was as usual a RSBF £200 fantastic weekend with a few sore heads developing. On BLESMA £100 Saturdays parade Jon experienced every Standard Bearer’s SSAFA £100 nightmare, the harness snapped just as we set off for the Great North East Air Ambulance £100 square. In true spirit Jon held the Standard for the entire RNLI £50 parade, well done Jon. The 22nd was the Flag Raising Guide Dogs for the Blind £50 ceremony at Peterlee for Armed Forces Day. The remaining 5p will be placed in a poppy tin. Thank you to everyone for making the day such a special day.

LINCOLN BRANCH

The Branch continues to flourish despite some members suffering long term health problems. Fortunately these problems have not stopped those members attending meetings and functions from time to time, albeit not as regularly as they would like.

At our last Quarterly Lunch on 10 September, we were delighted to have the company of the RSA Chairman, Brig David Hargreaves, who was accompanied by his sister and her partner. Prior to lunch the Chairman enjoyed a drink and a chat to Branch members and ladies. After a very good lunch our Branch President, Maj (Retd) Derek Wood MBE July: On 9 July we gathered at Peterlee Fire Station for the presented the chairman with a glass paper weight depicting 30,000th Last Post celebrations with a live link to the Menin the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta as a memento of his Gate at Ypres. visit; appropriate as Lincoln Castle is the home of the best preserved copy of Magana Carta.

Northern Branches Annual Reunion 2015. On August 30 we had our annual gathering attended by over 140 people from Brig David Hargreaves admiring his memento Branches in the north-east and guests from as far as Blandford, including veterans from other services. Durham ACF again provided reception services and we were delighted that Caroline Addison was able to make the trip to our event. This was our most successful gathering to date. The afternoon was a fantastic success and our Chairman kindly created another special cake which was raffled off and then donated back so that it can be A group picture with some of the members present used at another event in December.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 105 SPENNYMOOR BRANCH

The Spennymoor Branch of the Royal Signals Association held a black tie dinner at the Daleside Arms on Friday 2 October to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The Branch was co-founded by its first Chairman of 18 years, Norman Hyland, and Paul Harper. Mr Hyland, who had served as a Technical Storeman in the Corps for 29 years from 1963 to 1992 then completed 5 years in the Reserves, said “One night on our way home from an RSA meeting in Darlington, Paul Harper and I had a discussion about establishing a Branch in Spennymoor. We made contact with RSA Headquarters and they gave us £100 to set up our Branch, which we decided to put towards purchasing a Standard for the Branch to carry on parades. Back: Lt Col (Retd). David Gent, Paul Bowerbank (Chairman), When the Branch was established we hoped that it would still Rod ‘Nobby’ Ashman (Secretary), Rob Luke, Derek Dowdeswell, being going in 5 years, but it is great to know that 20 years Terry Reynolds, Peter Howells on, the Branch is going as strong as ever and I would like to Front: Moira Bowerbank, Pat Burrage, Hazel Howes, Brenda thank all our member’s past and present for being part of our Reynolds. success.” The dinner was attended by 30 members and through a raffle £53 was raised for the Branch.

Branch Secretary, Anne Burek, added “We have been coming to the Daleside Arms to have our Christmas function for a 1960's 16 sig regt reunion club couple of years now and on behalf of our Branch, I would like to thank Michael Patterson and his staff for their hospitality.” We are a very active Reunion Association of members of all ranks who served in 16 Signal Regiment during the 1960s. We are also an Association of the RSA.

Our annual reunion each October is attended by upwards of 70 members. This October we had the good fortune of a visit of the Corps Colonel, Graham Norton, who brought us up to date in what is happening throughout the Corps.

Whilst we are very active, we do seem to have a lack of officers. We therefore put out a plea to all individuals who served in 16 Signal Regiment during the 1960s, to contact me by email at [email protected] – of any rank but we would like more support from officers from that time.

Many thanks

If you have served in the Royal Corps of Signals and would like more information on joining the Spennymoor Branch of the RSA, which meets in the KGH club on the second Tuesday of every month please call Anne on 07502337554. 19 sig regt association

swindon BRANCH President Brig RH Maxfield Chairman Lt Col (Retd) PF Soward Secretary Mr JW Horne

We were joined for our October meeting by the Corps RSM. In spite of illness, of which more later, 35 members including WO1 Rob Luke. We meet at the TA Centre, Church Place, their wives, partners and invited guests, took their places at Swindon. SN1 5EH. The room is also used by other Army our reunion dinner at the Warwick Hilton Hotel on Saturday 5 units so there were plenty of artefacts’ to see in the display September. Earlier in the day 25 members had boarded one cases and on the walls. of Mr Johnson’s very smart coaches for the short drive to Wellesbourne Airfield where we were met by a trim young Following a formal meeting and an address by Rob to the lady, Damaris Tapp, smartly dressed in RAF ground crew Group we all enjoyed a drink and a buffet while we continued overalls bearing the arm badge of the ‘XM655 Maintenance & an informal discussion with the CRSM. Preservation Society’.

The Branch meets on the 4th Thursday of each month, from The systems on Vulcan bomber XM655 were powered up for 1900 hours and anyone from any of the Services are us and operation of the various controls, lights and the bomb welcome. For further details contact:- Rod Ashman (Branch bay doors were demonstrated. We saw seven replica 1,000 lb Secretary) at [email protected] bombs in a cradle in the bomb bay - three cradles, and 21 bombs, could be carried as they were when the airfield at Port Stanley was raided.

106 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 We then returned to the coach to visit Hanbury Hall, a National Trust house and gardens near Droitwich. After a short talk about the various owners we partook of light lunches in the Servants Hall before visiting the various rooms and gardens individually. A large board with ‘Rules for Servants’ aroused some interest and amusement!

Unfortunately, during the trip Brian O’Connor was taken ill and was unable to leave the coach to visit the Vulcan. Luckily Calvert and Debbie Peters had travelled to Wellesbourne by car and very kindly took him back to the hotel where an ambulance was called and he was admitted to Warwick Hospital. There he was looked after very well and was released the following Wednesday.

Before dinner Pat Soward welcomed all, particularly Calvert and Debbie Peters who had recently returned to the UK from Australia, Mrs Georgianna (George) Jayne, daughter of Mr Alan Lewis and Mr Bill Naismith who had accompanied Mr We were told about the various nuclear weapons that could Frank Smith on the long drive from Dundee. also be carried: the first weapons completely filled the bomb bay whilst the last weapons to come into service were little Apologies had been received from Trevor Broadley and larger than the 1,000 lb bombs - and 15 times as powerful as Bernard and Pearl Strange due to illness and from Paul and the weapon dropped on Hiroshima! We were also told a little Kelly Austin. Paul and Kelly were to be in New York of XM 655. It had been bought by a private buyer and flown celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. 20th? Yes, a to Wellesbourne but was taken over by the council, who ‘China’ Anniversary. The Chairman handed round a ‘Hope you owned the airfield, after a dispute over storage payments. It have a Happy Anniversary’ card for all to sign and a handsome sat abandoned, vandalised and deteriorating for ten years teapot to Ray Cank, Kelly’s father, with the request that it be until XM655 MAPS was formed. They brought it up to a passed on to them on their return home. standard where it can now undertake high speed taxi runs. This it does on Father’s Day each year. For more information, and another photograph of our visit, see www.xm655.com

Maj (Retd) Bernard Strange, MBE. A few days before the reunion Bernard had fallen at home and hit his head. At the time of the reunion he was still unconscious and, in spite of all efforts, he died on 19 September. Pearl was staunchly supported by their two sons and her sister. She had an appointment for an operation to her back on the 15th and, very bravely, decided to go ahead. At the time of writing she Our group then split into two, half going to the nearby is making magnificent progress. Wellesbourne Wartime Museum whilst Damaris took parties of four for cockpit visits. There she told us, amongst many Bernard’s funeral service was held at the Baptist Church in other facts, that because it was designed by Messrs AV Roe, Street, his home time. The church was full almost to capacity manufacturers of the Lancaster, there were unexpected and the Association was represented by John and Joyce similarities between these two legendary aircraft. Horne, John and Nina Hill, Brian and Nicola Tewkesbury and Pat and Maureen Soward. As Bernard was also a member of The Wartime Museum displays are normally on view in the the AFSA, John Horne paraded the AFSA Standard. The coffin underground emergency wartime control bunker but was draped, rather than with the usual Corps flag, with a unfortunately the tanking had failed, the bunker had flooded recently purchased, and very handsome, coffin drape and the displays moved elsewhere. The displays on the borrowed from RHQ. surface included a Russian Yakovlev Yak-52 trainer aircraft, a De Haviland Vampire and a ‘Goblin’ jet engine. Some of the Bernard served for 36 years including a tour with 19 Signal displays were unusual in that they had been uncovered by a Regiment commanding Seletar Troop from April 1968 to local aviation archaeology group. Among the exhibits was a August 1970. He was very popular with those members of the DTN table and Creed printer! 19 SRA who had served with him at RAF Seletar and he presided over those at the ‘Seletar table’ at reunions. He took RAF Wellesbourne Mountford was formed an 1941 and was over the post of Association Treasurer in February 2006 from nd home to 22 Operational Training Unit whose story is also our founder member, chairman and treasurer, George Brew. told in words and pictures in the museum. During its time, 22 OTU trained 9,000 aircrew, pilots, navigators, bomb-aimers, Bernard was an active, popular and hard-working member of wireless operators and air gunners. the Association who will be sorely missed.

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 107 Sadly, this year our President for the past 16 years, was not with us. Maj Gen Peter Alan Charles Baldwin CBE passed 31 sig regt association away on 15 Sep 2015. His Thanksgiving Service was held at St James Church, Gerrads Cross and was attended by the Chairman and several other members of the BVA.

On Wednesday 5 August the Association, through the kind Thursday. Most of the committee arrived and everything was offices of Yeoman Warder Matthew Pryme (ex. FofS), organised for the arrival of the Birgelen Veterans members attended the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. who would attend at some point over the weekend. It also was another excuse to swap and tell stories in the hotel bar In spite of the tube strike that was held on the same day, and function room. The Hotel had put on entertainment so some 28 members and their partners formed up at the main that the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodger types could get their entrance for the guided tour and sunset ceremony. We were dancing shoes out. fortunate to have present our association historian Maj (Retd.) Paul Whittle, who was between cruise lecturing Friday. Most of the members, families and friends, have engagements, and was able to record the scene. The event arrived and booked in to the hotel; it is not long before they also gave the secretary Maj (Retd.) Mark Zaremba- find the bar or meet in the lounge area for a coffee and a Tymieniecki, an opportunity to catch up with those members chat. Once the evening meal is over the bar area is then who missed the AGM and Lunch back in May. found to be bristling with talking and laughter. The hotel put on a one man show and soon most are up; a dancing and a We went round together with members of the Bath Branch of prancing until the wee hours of the morning. the RSA, so very much a Signals family evening. Saturday. After breakfast, during a stroll down to the The historical insights were as always informative, amusing harbour via the shops, one may stop for a coffee or maybe and sometimes gruesome as befits the history of the Tower. something a little stronger. So the afternoon is spent in The setting sun presented a superb photo opportunity for all. reliving old memories and friends, everyone anticipating on Mr Pryme’s elaboration on the ‘killing field’ within a mediaeval the Gala Evening meal, which consisted of a 5-course dinner gate gave us an excellent insight into both the science and with wine, plus more chatting and drinking. After the meal all brutality of mediaeval warfare. members then moved to the function room where again, the hotel put on entertainment and there was much merriment. We then retired to the Yeoman Warders Mess for drinks and a superb buffet dinner. Our Chairman, Derek Cattrall, with his Sunday. The AGM is held in the morning with 34 members in customary eloquence thanked the Yeoman Warders for their attendance, covering what has been achieved in the previous hospitality and the gathered members for braving the strike. year and what they have to look forward to.

At the appointed hour we all went outside for the ceremony Our Sunday night Disco, Coin at the Bottle, Sweeties in the jar, proper, illuminated both by the Chief Warders Lamp and Cpl Name the Duck, Buy an Envelope (guaranteed to win, Lady Marie Dawsons’ wheelchair headlights. We then (something)), were some of the fund raising events organised repaired back to the Mess for some more drinks and a by Gwen Sangster, Pat Hickman, Natalie Hickman and splendid raffle organised by the Yeoman Warders and thus Lorraine Bone with the Master of Ceremonies’ for the missed the rush home that evening in a tubeless London. evening Jeff Jephcote. We look forward to repeating this event in the years to come.

birgelen veterAns association

This year’s reunion raised a total of £537 towards our charities th Chairman Keith Clarke with all members looking forward to the 17 Annual Reunion Secretary/Treasurer Mick Morby at the Cavendish Hotel Torquay over the period 23 – 26 Sep 2016 You can check out our website and become a member, Birgelen Veterans Association – Reunion 2015 www.birgelenvets.org - by Jeff Jephcote

The 16th annual reunion of the Birgelen Veterans Association was held at the Cavendish Hotel in Torquay over the weekend 24 – 28 Sep 15. Yet again it was a tremendous success; this was down to the 38 members who attended the Saturday night Gala Evening and, of course the committee.

108 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 On Sunday afternoon about 30 of us formed up outside the langeleben reunion club cathedral. Age range 50 to the wrong side of seventy, in preparation for the traditional 3km parade through town. As always, Thomas Neal (one of our more senior statesmen) carried our Standard, with temperatures in the low thirties, Langeleben Reunion – by Maj (Retd) Rodney J Goddard MBE this was no mean feat. We were all relieved when we spotted the beer tent in the distance, as this was where the parade Around 24 Aug, up and down the United Kingdom, a mass would finish. On Sunday evening we invited local people who exodus of people had begun as members and their families had been members of staff at Langeleben Camp, (at least one who make up the Langeleben Reunion Branch set off for had been there since the fifties) to join us for a celebratory Kónigslutter Am Elm. This is an event that has taken place Bar-B - Q. Then all too soon our celebrations and festivities every second year since 1992. During our time there we stay where over, it was time to say our goodbyes until the next in the well appointed Hotel Avalon. Friday night is our meet time. and greet night, as you can imagine there is more than enough time spent pulling up a “sandbag” or seeking out Since our reunion we received the sad news that our favourite haunts in town. President, Maj Gen P A C Baldwin CBE had passed away. General Peter and Gail attended every meeting until On Saturday morning, as is customary the Burgermeister from prevented by his illness. He was at the head of every parade Konigslutter Am Elm and our locally based members attended through Konigslutter. General Peter’s association with our AGM. During our meeting the Burgermeister was invited Langeleben goes back a long way, in fact to the very to identify a worthy cause that the Langeleben Branch could beginning in 1951, when as young officer he was dispatched donate money to. We agreed to donate €1000 to a local from One Wireless Regiment (Dutch/German border) to special needs school. Then on Saturday night we all gathered identify a suitable intercept site near to what was known then in the Shutzenfest tent to enjoy the main celebrations. as the Inner German Border. The place he selected was Fortunately about 70 seats had been reserved for the rather Langeleben. Though initially under canvas, Langeleben soon large contingent from Langeleben. A few brave hearts became a permanent fixture and would remain a key SIGINT/ choose to dine on the hunters platter, where a selection of EW station throughout the Cold War. Langeleben closed in raw and cold meats and cheeses are provided, while the 1992. Thank you General Peter, for all that you have done for remainder settled for a bratty and chips. All washed down by our Branch. You will be sadly missed. the finest brew.

"3 DIV SIGNALS - THE 70'S"

7th Annual Reunion - Warwick - May 20th - 22nd 2016

3rd Airportable Division HQ & Signal Regiment, (Strategic Reserve), Bulford, Wiltshire, UK – early 70’s-1977 3rd Armoured Division HQ & Signal Regiment, (BAOR) Söest, Germany – 1977–1980-ish!

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The Glebe Hotel, Church Street, Barford, Warwickshire, CV35 8BS

“First parade” (AT THE BAR!) & “Check in” afternoon/evening, Friday, 20th May! “Dismissal Parade” (AT THE BAR!) & “Check out” lunch time, Sunday OR Monday?

Double B&B: Friday £85.00 Saturday £135.00 Sunday £70.00 Single B&B: Friday £70.00 Saturday £85.00 Sunday £60.00

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THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 109 LAST POST

Cpl A Arbuckle 1973/97 ??-Oct-15 Maj GW James 1939/46 01-Jul-14 Maj Gen PAC Baldwin CBE 1942/80 15-Sep-15 Maj R Jones 1947/77 05-Oct-15 Lt Col W Bell 1945/76 31-Oct-15 Sig JK Kennedy 1952/54 08-Oct-15 Sig PC Beckinsale 1072/80 03-Oct-15 SSgt W M Kerr 1971/?? 29-Oct-15 Sgt KA Bowker 1974/97 24-Sep-15 Cpl A King 1985/94 27-Sep-15 WO1 A Bramhall 1950/73 22-Oct-15 Sig DG Kingdom 1962/86 24-Oct-15 SSgt DA Carrier 1946/49 09-Sep-15 Sig DB Lang 1977/85 13-Sep-15 LCpl GA Carrigan 2003/10 02-Oct-15 Sgt F Lock 1946/57 01-Oct-15 Sig B Close 1949/52 13-Sep-15 Capt RI Lockyer MM 1939/46 14-May-15 Cpl D Cooley 1952/72 23-Oct-15 Cpl M MacDonald 1978/04 09-Sep-15 WO1 S R Cowton 1965/?? 20-Oct-15 Sgt K Matthews 1963/75 30-Sep-15 Sig I Crew 1948/49 28-Jul-15 Cpl E McCall 1952/70 02-Oct-15 Sgt TW Davies 1953/56 29-Sep-15 R Mckay 1952/55 27-Aug-15 Sig G Devey 1942/47 16-Sep-15 Lt Col AJ Murray BA 1951/93 27-Sep-15 LCpl AT Dodsworth 1949/55 29-Sep-15 Cpl CCS Rawson 1966/84 23-Oct-15 Lt Col AP Ferris OBE 1968/08 18-Oct-15 Sig G Ridley 1972/75 01-Oct-15 Cpl D Ferris 1954/74 11-Oct-15 Sgt DJ Skitmore 1939/46 01-Dec-14 WO2 TG Fisher 1956/80 15-Oct-15 Cpl A Smith 1962/68 14-Oct-15 LCpl J Freeman 1953/64 28-Sep-15 Maj BF Strange MBE 1948/84 19-Sep-15 Sig R Gilchrist 1943/47 30-Oct-15 WO2 AG Summers 1944/47 16-Oct-15 Brig SGM Gordon 1960/93 16-Sep-15 Maj PA Upton TD 1949/83 23-Sep-15 LCpl J Grayson 1991/98 17-Oct-15 Cpl EA Warren 1963/ 15-May-15 LCpl DB Harries 1975/81 03-Oct-15 Maj BI Weston MA 1957/76 09-Sep-15 Sig RF Hopkins 1960/61 19-Sep-15 Sgt R Williams-Yeagers 1951/57 21-Sep-15 Lt Lord REG Howe 1945/48 09-Oct-15

OBITUARIES

THORLEY - Douglas Thorley died 6 November 2014 FERRIS - Cpl David 'Geordie' Ferris died 11 October 2015

Doug Thorley passed away quietly at I first met Dave in Singapore in 1961 when Palmerston North Hospital, aged 89, in his we both served with 1 Sqn.Op 18 Sig Regt adopted New Zealand on November 6 last and we both worked at Tanglin in the year, surrounded by loving family. SDO. We were both sent to Brunei during the troubles in 1962 where we He trained as a wireless operator before worked in Com-Brit-Bor HQ. We had joining the paras during the Second World some great times but in 1963 Dave War to keep up with his elder brother completed his tour of the Far East and Norman, who served in a glider regiment. we lost touch. I tried for years to find Both fought and lived through the Arnhem him and after about 30 years found him action and the war. in the Kinson area of Bournemouth, not Sunderland, his home town. I had a Hotel in Doug ended the war in Norway and then re-enlisted and Blackpool at the time but most of my family served in Palestine until 1948, before demobbing and lived in the Poole area so I surprised him when I visited him on emigrating to New Zealand in 1951. He worked in forestry a trip south. before training as a teacher and ended his career as a senior master at Feilding High School. We kept in touch since Dave had racing pigeons in Sunderland and Bournemouth where he raced them but ill health stopped Much loved husband of Gaynor; father of Peter and Felicity him carrying on his hobby and sadly to say I have lost a true Anne, step-father of Keith, Mike, Jan, Karen and Greg and friend of 54 years. much loved poppa and father-in-law. Dave was always called Geordie but he was a true Makem. RIP my old mucker

Bill McKay

110 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 BALDWIN - Major General PAC Baldwin CBE died 15 September 2015

Major General Peter Alan Charles Baldwin had the distinction of being the first Army Apprentice to reach two star officer rank. He was born on 19 February 1927 into a theatrical family, which left him with an abiding enthusiasm for music and all forms of entertainment. After attending the King Edward VII Grammar School in Chelmsford, Essex he attested at the age of 14 to attend the Army Training School (ATS) at Arborfield to start training as a REME radio technician.

On joining man service, and after basic training, he was sent to 10 Command Workshops at Mill Hill, where he made the most of the opportunity to attend classical concerts in London, as well as London Symphony Orchestra rehearsal sessions and a two week course run by its director.

In December 1945 he prepared for his first overseas posting, to the Sudan, where with an ATS contemporary, he was one of only two radio technicians in theatre. At his mother’s insistence, he attended a War Office Selection Board, and subsequently returned to UK in the rank of Corporal to start officer training at the Officer Cadet Training Unit, Mons, Aldershot. He graduated after six months with the Cane of Honour, and having elected to be commissioned into Royal Signals, the second part of the commissioning process was held at Catterick, where he again did well, this time being runner-up for the Cane of Honour.

His first commissioned posting was to 2 Lines of Communication Signal Regiment in Herford, Germany, and after a short time was sent to Berlin to command the detached 16 High Speed Wireless Troop. Here again he made the most of the opportunities presented to attend symphony concerts and other musical events. His time in Berlin encompassed the Berlin Airlift, which he witnessed at first hand.

His next posting was to 21 Fire Command Signal Troop and 27 Heavy Battery Anti-Aircraft Signal Troop in Scarborough, with the eventual destination of Hong Kong, at that time in some turmoil. At this time also he bought his first civilian suit – up until then uniform was worn everywhere – the impetus being the realisation that he would have to travel to Hong Kong by BOAC flying boat, staying at luxurious civilian hotels en route. The journey took a very pleasant five days, and on arrival he had only been in Murray Barracks a short time before his batman arrived in the company of the tailor, to say “You need new suit”! The batman was an old hand, and knew the form!

In June 1950 the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel, and triggered the Korean War. He was dispatched with 38 Brigade Signal Troop on an aircraft carrier, eventually landing at Pusan, where they were to come under command of the US 24 Division. There he came under enemy fire (and blue on blue, courtesy of the US Air Force) for the first time, and after several encounters the unit was resubordinated to what became the Commonwealth Brigade. He moved with them to spearhead the advance up the western side of Korea, through Pyongyang to the Chinese border, only to have to withdraw again south of Seoul when Communist China entered the war and pushed south.

Following the ceasefire, he was sent to 1 Wireless Regiment in Munster, Germany. There he was an enthusiastic organiser and participant in regimental sports, and was present at the installation of 101 Wireless Troop at its new site at Langeleben. He was subsequently appointed Adjutant, and following the arrival of Lt Col Lonnon, was closely involved in the planning for the new Regimental Headquarters at Birgelen, on the Dutch border some distance to the west. His next posting was as SO3 Signals at HW Eastern Command at Hounslow, where he prepared to take the Staff College entrance examination. While in the exam, at Kensington Town Hall, the invigilator summoned him to talk to his superior at HQ. He did so reluctantly, and was surprised to learn that following a positive medical scan, a vehicle was its way to transport him to Woolwich Hospital, and that he should leave the exam immediately. On arrival at the hospital, the nurses assured him that the situation was not that dramatic, and he arranged to take the remaining four exam papers in a screened off corner of the ward, invigilated by officers from HQ Eastern Command. On being transferred to the King Edward VII hospital, he was advised that the would be off duties for some time, as he would need three months chemotherapy, followed surgery on his right lung and three months convalescence. There his morale was maintained by the cheerful and irreverent company of several other military officers similarly confined, and he eventually emerged fit, but with only one lung working properly.

The Corps confirmed that he was still needed, and he was sent to 5 Signal Regiment (later to become 30 Signal Regiment), with the medical grading of Home Only. After a year at Colchester, he was sent as GSO3 to Signals 5 in the War Office, where he learned that he would attend Staff College in 1960, a year later than planned. There his theatrical talent bloomed, and he produced a very successful pantomime, succeeding in persuading no less a personality than Brian Johnston to take part. On graduation, he was posted to 7 Signal Regiment as Adjutant to Lt Col Peter Pentreath, subsequently Signal Officer-in-Chief (Army). On promotion, he assumed command of 3 Squadron, composed principally of linemen, whom he came to respect and value highly. On Exercise SPEARPOINT 1962, the Squadron laid 700 drums of cable and recovered 699!

His next posting was to Signals 1 in the War Office, where he had responsibility for manpower planning and allocation, and was followed by selection to attend the Joint Services Staff College. He assumed command of 5 Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Signal Squadron in 1964, and survived the dismissal of his Brigadier and a deployment to Borneo at the end of the confrontation (where he earned a Mention in Despatches) to learn that he had been selected for promotion and posting as a member of the Directing Staff to the Army Staff College.

There he came under the influence of the formidable Maj Gen Hugh Beach, renowned for possessing one of the sharpest brains in the Army. He taught all aspects of the military syllabus, and considers it one of his most challenging postings. Following this he assumed command of 13 Signal Regiment, the new incarnation of 1 Wireless Regiment, and by now well ensconced in their custom built barracks at Birgelen. His legacy as Commanding Officer was the construction of a swimming pool, opened by the actor Derek Nimmo. This was to prove one of his most enjoyable postings, as he combined coping with a continual stream of visitors of up to

THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015 111 four star rank with a demanding operational role, all the while fulfilling the many social obligations his position entailed. He particularly relished the chance to revisit his old haunts in Berlin, in the course of his visits to his detached Squadron.

His next appointment on promotion was a prized one, as Secretary to the NATO Defence College in Rome. There he had to cope with a myriad of very senior visitors from SACEUR downwards, and coordinate a series of course visits to various European locations, as well as an audience with the Pope. In July 1974 he was promoted to Brigadier and appointed to command 2 Signal Group in Aldershot. This involved control of units spread all over UK, both Regular and TA, and extensive travel. His only real confrontation came when he had cause to upbraid certain TA officers for wearing brown shoes and side hats while on exercise, an intervention which earned him the displeasure of their Regimental Colonel!

His next posting was to HQ AFCENT as DCOS Exercises, where he relished the contact with the many senior NATO officers with whom he had dealings. He was particularly pleased when SACEUR personally congratulated him on the turnout and bearing of a multi-national, tri-Service guard of honour, the culmination of several weeks of concentrated rehearsal. One his more enjoyable duties was to take the salute for the British contingents at the annual Nijmegen Marches event in Holland each year. His final posting saw him promoted to Major General, and appointed as Chief Signal Officer BAOR in JHQ . There he considers himself fortunate in having an excellent staff serving him, which allowed him to concentrate on strategic matters and ensure that targets and objectives were met with minimal delay and frustration. Among his more pleasant duties were hosting the Princess Royal, acting as telephone responder for BFBS on Christmas Day and visiting units under his command. A notable event was the Queen’s Review at Sennelager, of which he commissioned a painting as a record of the occasion.

On his subsequent retirement, he secured the post of Deputy Director of Radio for the Independent Broadcasting Authority in Knightsbridge, London, with whom he started on the Monday after demitting office on the Friday at Rheindahlen! One of the roles he particularly enjoyed was the annual visit to Venice for the working party of the Prix Italia, where he was able to stay next to the Opera House. During his time in this post he was to meet many prominent figures in the entertainment business, including several musical performers, to his great delight.

He eventually retired for the second time in 1995, but remained active in providing consultancy to the Thompson Foundation and involvement with charitable works, including Crimestoppers, the Eyeless Trust and church affairs. He was an Associate member of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust, and a holder of the CBE. In his final retirement, he and Gail much enjoyed travelling, visiting friends worldwide, and attending musical events such as the quarterly end of term concert by the Junior Division of the Royal College of Music.

Peter Baldwin died on 15 September 2015. He is survived by his wife Gail, and two stepsons, Simon and Timothy. To them go our very sincere sympathies, and the commiserations and condolences of his many friends and colleagues in the Corps.

112 THE WIRE, DECEMBER 2015

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